Claws
by Thankless
Summary: AU-ish Instead of simply erasing his memories, Charles completely erases Lelouch's mind and has a new drug tested on him, shrinking him to the size of a four year old with the brain of a cat. Plus, his new master is none other than Suzaku Kururugi!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. I do own the plot. All songs used belong to their respective artists.

_Because maybe you're gonna be the one that saves me.  
And after all, you're my wonderwall_. – _Wonderwall_ by Oasis

Chapter One

Silence filled the chamber after those amethyst orbs slipped shut, the pale pink lips that went with slightly parted from being previously open to scream. In his time as a soldier, Warrant Officer Suzaku Kururugi, whom had heard many screams of terror and pain, was now equipped with an immunity to the sound. In his time as a friend, Suzaku Kururugi the student, however, he had never heard the other male he was still pinning to the ground release such heart breaking sounds.

He ignored how he could hear his better judgment, beginning to crawl out of the woodwork of his mind, screaming in protest to the treatment.

"Shall I have him returned to Ashford Academy now, Your Highness?" He asked, glancing up through his bangs at the larger man seated on the thrown. There was something about how the other man seemed almost proud at how he'd made his own son scream that filled the young soldier with dread. This dread, he realized, was reasonable at how the other smirked down at him.

"What good will that do him? He is a completely blank slate," The Emperor answered calmly, leaning back in his seat. He kept the smirk in place while tilting his head a bit, trying to get a better look at the unconscious form tied up in a straight jacket.

"You erased all of his memories?" Suzaku asked suddenly, lifting from his position a bit with wide eyes. He felt his heart rate pick up as fear gripped at his heart. He hadn't meant for this to be Lelouch's fate! The cold eyes of the emperor narrowed on him and he quickly returned to his previous pose, head bowed in respect and shame. "My apologies, You Majesty, I was just a little surprised."

"You are pardoned, Sir Kururugi," He said calmly. Suzaku stared at the tiles beneath him, still in disbelief that Lelouch was really completely erased. "Take him to the genetic development team lead by Lloyd Asplund. I'm sure they can make good use of a pathetic sack of shame like my ungrateful, undeserving, wretch of a son."

Suzaku took a deep breath. "Yes, Your Majesty," He said as he stood, picking Lelouch's body up calmly and walking out. He was surprised at how light Lelouch was; he had always know that the other male rarely ate, a concern that Nunnally had confided in the young Japanese youth a few times, but to think he was this light was a little disturbing. Was it possible Lelouch had been starving himself? He shook the thought away as quickly as it had appeared due to the fact he knew Lelouch was not like that. Lelouch was the smart one between them; Suzaku was the illogical masochist. But then… What would they be now, given the other boy's now vacant sense of self?

"You deserve this, to some degree," He said aloud, stealing a glance at the unresponsive figure below him. He looked back up, heading down the long hallway to the hanger where he knew Lloyd and Cecile would be, finishing the repairs on the Lancelot. "You were just manipulating all those people, getting their hopes up and pretending to help them when really you were just trying to help yourself. This is your punishment for all the lives you've ruined, all the lives you taken, and all the sins you've committed." He continued on. If he kept talking maybe he could convince himself this really was for the best. "And now you'll be used to help better the world and save lives. At least now you won't be killing people even if… Even if you might die during all of the tests." He said slowly, stopping midstep and looking down. It was hard to believe that the boy he'd been holding down a few minutes ago was the same creature in his arms now.

Lelouch's face had softened and relaxed, all traces of tension or stress clear from him. His chest was rising and falling in a slow, steady pattern. For a moment Suzaku remembered an incident from when they were children living in the Kururugi home. Nunnally had gotten sick after an outing in the rain and Lelouch had stayed by her side loyally, despite Suzaku's attempts to get him to leave the room and play with him. He came back an hour after his fifth attempt to find his friend snoozing in his chair, arms folding under his head on the side of the bed. Lelouch had looked so innocent and fragile in that moment that Suzaku realized that Lelouch was a sensitive creature despite the tough exterior he showed the world. For a moment Suzaku pretended that they were back at that time, and he was merely carrying the petite young Lelouch to his own bed so he could rest easier. He was snapped back to the harsh reality when the sound of drills and machinery caught his attention.

Lloyd glanced over, one brow raised behind his glasses and a smile turning up his lips. "My, my! What have you got there, Suzaku?" He asked cheerfully. Suzaku noticed a yellow-green blotch on the side of the other male's face from where he'd punched him earlier and a small bit of guilt filled him. The scientist walked over and carefully examined the unconscious male, his hand curled around his chin in thought. "This boy looks somewhat familiar to me." He said calmly.

"I doubt you know him," Suzaku lied calmly, keeping his face calm and collected. He then shifted Lelouch a little, as if the other was difficult to keep up. "The Emperor asked me to bring him to you. He will be your new test subject starting today." He caught a quick glint of devious delight in the other's eyes at his words before he turned around, clapping his hands and catching the attention of his female assistant.

"Cecile~! I need to run an errand with Suzaku real fast so please make sure the repairs remain on task~!" He sang happily before spinning back around and walking to a nearby door. He pulled out a key from his lab coat, unlocked the door and opened it, indicating for Suzaku to go first. The young Japanese boy did so, walking into the dimly lit stairwell. Lloyd shut the door and flipped a light switch, bright fluorescent light revealing the metal staircase to the pilot. "How generous of His Highness to remember I requested a new subject! This must be my lucky day!" He mused, slipping past Suzaku and beginning to walk down the steps. The other followed him quietly, trying to settle the nervous tremors in his belly.

"What exactly do you need him for?" Suzaku asked softly, looking around. He was startled that the stone walls were painted grey around them but there were splatters of red; the red hue of blood. Suzaku knew that it was blood simply because the color haunted every dream he had when he slept in the barracks, remembering the day he had killed his father on accident. Why was there blood on these walls? What had occurred in this stair well?

"It's nothing you need to worry yourself with, Suzaku," Lloyd said calmly. They took the rest of the steps in silence before reaching another door. Lloyd pulled the key back out again and unlocked the knob, pushing it open and leading the young man out. Suzaku's heart caught in his throat and his grip on Lelouch tightened a little bit.

There was a large surgical table in the middle of the room with think black straps to hold someone down. The walls were basically see through cages with tons of different things, that Suzaku assumed were once people, trapped inside. Some of them still bore some likeness to a human while others looked as if they were just pieces of various dead animals sewed together in a sloppy, careless way. One of them looked at him with large, sad blue eyes, it's long and taloned hand scraping across the glass as if bleeding him to free it. It's mouth opened to speak but the bottom half of it's jaw fell off and blood soon followed, flowing like a crimson waterfall. His stomach lurched forward and he had to swallow hard to keep back bile. Lloyd saw his reaction and glanced over. "Ah, it appears specimen 392 has reached it's end. How tragic," He said with the kind of sigh someone gave when they had lost a bet or hadn't gotten what they wanted. Lloyd walked over to a nearby trunk, positioned underneath the surgical bed, and pulled out a pistol. Suzaku wanted to protest, to cry out against what he knew was coming, but was unable to. Lloyd pulled out a small card key, slid it into a slot, and the large glass doors lifted into the ceiling. He cocked the gun, pointed it at the creatures head, and pulled the trigger without so much as flinching. "Well this works out nicely! I'll call a janitor, have this room cleaned up, and then we can put little specimen 393 in here." He mused, looking over at Lelouch with a proud smile. "Just place him on the surgical table; you deserve a nice rest after the wonderful things you've accomplished for Britannia."

'_Wonderful thing for Britannia, huh?'_ He thought to himself, body shaking all over. Was it too late for him to take Lelouch and run away? He could steal the Lancelot, get Lelouch something to wear to hide his face, go to the Black Knights and claim that he was a double agent, that things got out of hand when he took Zero to the Emperor… But there was Kallen and that green haired witch, C2. They would never let him get away with it and he couldn't trust Lelouch to their care. Without his memories he was the only one who could take care of the ebony haired male if he took him away with him.

"Well, hurry up, Suzaku. You need to get a good night's rest since you'll start training and such tomorrow," Lloyd said, walking over and resting a hand on Suzaku's shoulder. The other male jumped in shock before looking over. The scientist calmly took Lelouch from Suzaku's arms, set him on the table and began strapping him in. "I guess I'll see you later then. Toodles~!" He sang excitedly, glancing up and waving at Suzaku with just his fingers.

Being the well-trained soldier he was, Suzaku walked away and kept his head bowed as he walked up the stairs with the speed of a sloth. Halfway up, a man carrying a mop, bucket of water, and a basket of various cleaning supplies darted past him. He glanced at the other for a moment, realizing he was also Japanese, before turning back and heading off. When he slipped out past the door, a perky male with bright blue eyes was grinning at him. He recognized him immediately as Gino Weinberg, the Knight of Three. "Are you Suzaku Kururugi, the new Knight of Seven?" He asked happily.

"Yes, I am," Suzaku said in a dead tone of voice. The other blinked, puzzled briefly, before grinning back even wider at this. He tossed his arm over the other's shoulders, pulling him close and forcing him to walk with him.

"I'm you're new tutor! I'm supposed to show you to your new room as a Knight of Round and help you adjust to the new training regimen you'll be following! So, if you have questions, I'm you're go-to guy!" He beamed. Suzaku realized as he walked with the other that Gino was a lot like how he'd been when he was younger… Or, rather, before Euphemia had died and he'd learned of Zero's identity. "For now, however, I'll take you to your new room. All of your things have already been moved in. Pretty quick, huh?"

"You really make sure to take good care of your knights, don't you?" He asked calmly. Despite being the knight of a member of the royal family, Suzaku had been forced to stay in the barracks with the other Honorary Britannians. But now he was not the loyal friend and knight of a princess, but the obedient lap dog of His Majesty, Charles Zi Britannia; it was the difference of how a stray mutt would be treated in comparison to an award-winning purebred.

"The only people who get treated better than us are the members of the royal family!" Gino laughed happily as they walked out of the knightmare hangar and into one of the many white hallways.

'_Except for the ones you can't use, like Nunnally or Lelouch, right?'_ He thought bitterly as they walked, not saying anything else the rest of the way. Gino prattled on animatedly about this or that, using his hands and face to express his opinion. Suzaku was slightly surprised that the other male either didn't notice or didn't care that he wasn't registering any type of response on his face to what the other stayed. When they reached the room he paused and looked at the blonde. "If you don't mind, I was just planning to rest and relax since it sounds like tomorrow is going to be a rough day." He said in the same monotonous tone as before. The other nodded and gave his back a hearty pat.

"No problem, no problem! Just make sure to set your alarm for seven because that's when I'm going to come and get you!" He hummed before walking off farther down the hallway. Suzaku opened the door quietly and looked around at the room.

All the walls were pure white and the large, king-sized bed was covered in a cobalt blue bed spread set. There was a mahogany desk in one corner with a nothing on it, the closet was a walk-in filled with his few items of clothing inside with little shelves at the floor for his socks, shoes and undergarments. He slid the white double doors shut again before turning back. Across the room from the closet was a private bathroom with all white and blue décor to match the main room. His toothbrush and other toiletries were already placed in their proper places. The bathtub with adjacent shower nozzle at the top had little jet pumps on the side, which made the tub less of a tub and more of a Jacuzzi. The room was simply wonderful and by far better than any room Suzaku had ever had before, even as a child in the Kururugi house.

And while he enjoyed this, Lelouch was trapped in a cell down below, being given drugs that would most likely mutate him into a beast-like creature, cause his limbs to fall off and blood to gush, and then get a bullet between his eyes.

…

Suzaku learned the next day that by training, which he thought would be work with the knightmares, was actually a sparring season with the younger boy. He also learned that Gino had been training to become a Knight of Round since he was a very young child, being raised close to the palace and being well acquainted with the children of the Emperor. After a session in which he and Gino had laid heavy blows and exhausted themselves, the other male had grinned and offered the young Japanese boy a water bottle. "It's hard work but it's well worth it," He said with a smile, sitting with a small sigh. Both boys were shirtless with only mesh shorts on other than that.

"You said if I had any questions I could just ask you, right?" The brunette asked calmly after taking a sip of his water, screwing back on the cap and playing with the bottle. The other male made a small noise of agreement while chugging down a large gulp of his own drink. "Did you ever know Prince Lelouch, by chance?"

"Sure! He and I were kind of friends, actually!" He said with a bright grin, screwing the cap on to his own water bottle as well. He grinned lightly, looking up at the sky with a reminiscent look on his face. "He was kind of stuffy and uppity, really protective of his little sister, Princess Nunnally. She had this terrible tendency to do things that were really dangerous, like walking on walls with thorny bushes on either side. He really liked to read too. Oh, and sometimes he'd play with Princess Euphemia." He mused aloud, not noticing how Suzaku flinched at the mention of the late princess. He then blinked a few times. "In fact, she was the only other member of the royal family, aside from Lady Marianne and Princess Nunnally, that he got along with. He would play chess with Prince Clovis and Prince Schneizel but he didn't really like either one of them; he said Clovis was a simpleton that was too easy to beat and that Schneizel was always so pompous when he would beat him."

"I see," He said softly. He continued to toy with the water bottle in hopes of calming himself back down. He knew that Lelouch had always been protective of Nunnally and he had once mentioned she'd been a little bit of a rebel before losing her sight and ability to walk. Suzaku had always wondered if Lelouch was exaggerating, given her mild-mannered and cheerful personality in the time he'd known the to siblings.

"Lelouch was kind of a jerk and sometimes I really didn't like him but he was still a nice guy underneath it all. I was really sad when I heard he was dead; I'd been hoping to become his knight if he ever returned to royalty," The blonde male said lightly, closing his eyes peacefully. Suzaku glanced at him curiously, examining him, before mentally deciding that Gino would never have been a good knight for Lelouch; the young prince would have needed someone whom he could have a battle of wits with, like the Japanese boy sitting with the blonde. For arguments sake, however, Suzaku had ended up being a treacherous friend so what did that say for his abilities as a knight? "He was actually kind cute and petite. Like a little girl or something." He giggled lightly, blushing a bit at his own words before jolting up and looking over at the other sadly. "Oh, wait, you knew him didn't you?" He asked worriedly, sympathy filling his eyes.

"It's okay, Gino," Suzaku said while looking up at the bright blue sky and fluffy white clouds, "I thought he was kind of a jerk at first too. We ended up becoming really good friends, though, and I realized that there was no point to all the war and madness. We weren't all that different and after a while I realized that, aside from a few cultural and personal beliefs, he was a normal ten-year-old kid like me. I was really sad when it came to an end too." He mumbled sadly. He shifted his gaze down to his hands, wrapped tightly around his water bottle.

He really would miss having Lelouch around to hang out with. They really were quite the pair, capable of accomplishing anything as long as they were working as a team. But the days of their alliance were all gone and there was nothing left now between them. It was suddenly very hard to think that soon enough Lelouch would most likely be dead at the hands of his once loyal subjects.

_I told myself I won't miss you  
But I remember  
What it feels like beside you. – __Better Than Me_ by Hinder

…

When she finally awoke from everything she was floating calmly atop the ocean, eyes trained on the inky night sky and the twinkling stars. She had a hunch that the once grand flying knightmare frame they'd stolen from Britannia was nothing more than a large metal scrap heap at the bottom of the vast sea now. She also knew that her newest charge was most likely captured by said empire and made useless to her. She assessed this situation and concluded it true due to where she was at current time; if her charge had been successful in his plans, he would have retrieved her by now.

Lelouch was many things but he never left her, given their contract, out on her own for too long. Heaven knew that if she didn't get her pizza she'd become his worst nightmare.

She heard a soft whirling noise not too far off and glanced over, ignoring how the sea water stung when it hit her eyes. It was a small black boat of sorts. She knew almost immediately that it was an item belonging to the Black Knights, the very group her young charge was the leader of. "C2!" A familiar female voice called as a dark figure leapt from the edge of the boat into the water and swimming toward her quicker than the metal ship was going. She made a small noise of pain when a hand wrapped around her waist, resting on a still healing wound. "Are you okay?" She gasped worriedly.

"Don't worry, Kallen, I'll be fine once I get on board, get something to eat, get updated on the whole situation and get some dry clothes on. Though it won't be in that order; I want clean clothes and food before I start stressing out about this or that," She said in her usual monotonous tone of voice. The other girl gave a small relieved sigh before tugging her along, swimming back to the ship at a slow and steady pace. "He's gone, isn't he?" She asked after a moment of pause, filled only by the sound of Kallen's strokes and the waves splashing around them.

"Yes. Suzaku took him away to see the Emperor," Kallen whispered back softly, tone filled with guilt and sorrow. C2 didn't try to press the matter with her any further, deciding instead to focus on getting herself taken care of before chasing after the ghost of her young charge.

And after getting cleaned up and downing three full pizzas on her own, C2 sat on her bed on the boat, hugging her Cheese-Kun plush to her tightly, and watched the fidgeting red-head over just the top of the plush toy. "So you just stood there and watched it all go down? How valiant of you," She said bluntly. The other twitched before standing and glaring at her furiously.

"I didn't have any other choice! I was emotionally unstable and confused! I didn't know that they'd execute Lelouch!" She snapped angrily. The announcement of Zero's private execution had come up on the news about an hour ago. Kallen's eyes brimmed with tears and she sank back into her seat, trembling with sorrow. "I… I didn't know that it would be like that… I didn't know that they'd kill him."

"Don't be an idiot," C2 scoffed flatly, "the Emperor would never kill his own child willingly. He's a sadist with the desire to turn the whole world into an empire he's in charge of but he wouldn't kill a child of his as clever as Lelouch."

"What do you mean?" Kallen asked with a sniffle, wiping one of her eyes lightly on the back of her hand. She blinked, fighting the tears that had begun to brew their away again, focusing instead on what the other had said. "Lelouch is… Royalty?"

"Banished royalty, but royalty all the same. Don't act so surprised; you're a smart girl and I'm sure you noticed Lelouch's naturally regal personality," She said breezily, flopping over on her bed to lie on her side and observe the other woman. Kallen couldn't really argue with C2 there. After the time she spent in student council with Lelouch she now knew it had to be true; Lelouch was great at paperwork, meticulously tidy with the files, finances and other necessary documents, and had a strong yet gentle way at dishes out the work evenly that kept you from resenting him for assigning you a task to complete. She had wondered if he was perhaps the son of an aristocrat who died in the war but later decided that was impossible, given the aristocrats that attended their school did not seem to know him well and the fact she could not find any tie between his last name and any company or federation.

"So how are we supposed to find him and bring him back to our group? We need his leadership if we want to have any chance of defeating Britannia and liberating Japan," She said worriedly after snapping back from her trail of mental ramblings. The other held up her hand, her index finger sticking up and pointing toward the ceiling of their room.

"For now, let's focus on gathering the scattered members, finding out who we've lost, finding a place to hide the members that are well-known for rebellion, since they will most definitely be hunted, and try to get more new recruits. When the time comes I'm certain we'll be able to contact someone to figure out exactly where our little leader has been sent off to this time," She said calmly. She then stretched out a little bit and yawned lazily, enjoying the feel of a full stomach and comfy bed beneath her rather than the cold salt water she'd been floating in not too long ago. "We'll raise the suspicion of the other Black Knights if we start chasing a ghost and Lelouch will be rather disappointed in us if we should get him back to find we've lost almost all our troops and have no equipment to use. If he hasn't lost his minds because of whatever Britannia did to him, that is."

Kallen flinched and tried to fight back the helplessness and guilt she could fell clawing its way around in her gut. Lelouch had been Zero, the man of miracles. He had fought for Japan, whether it was for Japan or for his own form of vengeance against his homeland, and lead them to many victories over the world's most feared and powerful country. She shouldn't have turned tail and abandoned him when the road got a little bumper than she'd expected; she had been afraid to accept the consequences of knowing the truth. But now she knew and she wanted to save him to repent for her mistake before because she wanted to believe, no matter his real reasons, that he did believe in and fight for the rights of the Japanese. "And who will help us? Do you have some friend in the military, working as a mole for us?"

"Not in the least," She responded calmly, flopping over so that her back was facing the other woman. She could feel bright blue eyes glaring at her in suspicion and a spark of rage. She nuzzled closer to her Cheese-Kun plush, letting her eyes drift shut and let her body relax. She deserved a nice, long rest after what she'd been through today.

"Well then who are you expecting to tell us? No one in the Britannian army is going to yield information to a green haired weirdo and her Japanese friend," She said in sheer annoyance, eye beginning to twitch. She was starting to wonder, after only a few minutes of talking with the other woman, how Lelouch had dealt with her for so long; her cryptic talk and uppity attitude were enough to turn the most patient of monks into a yelling, swearing machine. "I mean, even the Honorary Britannians in the army won't help us! What with that prick Suzaku climbing up the ranks to a Knight of Round, they'll think that if they're loyal and determined they be able to do that too. Ignorant fools don't know that he was given that position because he was willing to betray his own homeland and one of his best friends." She scoffed flatly, glaring off to one of the large metal walls of the room.

"Exactly," C2 sighed again, closing her eyes a little tighter and trying to will Kallen away. Too bad Lelouch wasn't around; he could have easily shooed the red-haired woman away with a few pretty words. Unlike him, however, C2 had never had a fondness for using false kindness or smiles on anyone. Lelouch had been raised as royalty, often dealing with eager-to-please aristocrats, and had been forced to use said things as a defense mechanism, which was later disarmed by one Suzaku Kururugi. Then again, after the pair was separated he'd been forced to rebuild his defenses and then, when the emerald eyed male came waltzing back into his life, his systems went haywire and things started to get out of whack. That was the reason he was where he was now; wherever that was.

"Would you just tell me whatever you're trying to imply? I'm not as good at reading between the lines as Lelouch is!" Kallen roared angrily, standing up from her seat. She was beginning to get tired of the other woman's little word games; she should either tell her what the plan was or keep her in the dark until the moment to initiate said plan was upon them! Beating around the bush and playing peek-a-boo would get them absolutely no where!

"Once we've accomplished all our other goals we're going to seek out good old Suzaku and see if he can gives us a little information in regards to our precious prince," C2 said calmly, shifting on the bed and pulling the covers around her figure and cuddling deeply into the pillows and comforter. She let out a contented sigh as she relaxed into the warmth and let herself begin to drift away. "Something tells me that even Suzaku will have a few problems with whatever happens to Lelouch. Whether he wants to admit it or not, he does have a small urge to protect Lelouch from things that have the ability to harm him. He'll help us because Suzaku wants to enable Lelouch to prove him wrong; Suzaku just hasn't realized it yet."

Kallen stayed quiet, watching as the other woman began to drift off to sleep, while wondering if her little scheme really would work out for the best. Suzaku was stubborn in his own beliefs and seemed the type to rather roll around in his own misery silently than admit the fault in his logic and morals.

She could only hope that Suzaku's bond with Lelouch was stronger than his desire to preserve what remained of his pride.

…

Four months had passed between the day Suzaku handed Lelouch over to Lloyd and today's conversation. On the outside, Suzaku made himself seem as if he was simply absorbed in his work as a Knight of Round when on the inside he was a total mess. At night he'd wake up screaming from these terrible nightmares revolving around Lelouch. Most of them involved Suzaku standing before Lelouch, who looked like a cross between the creature he'd seen that day and a walking skeleton, with a gun in hand. His body would move of its own accord and place the muzzle against the other's forehead. Just as those familiar violet orbs registered on him, filled with begging for salvation, he'd pull the trigger and just stand there, watching the body fall and twitch before going still. It was hard to keep it to himself, given he could not share this fear with just anyone, and he feared he might spill it given what he was about to do. Today he was having tea with Nunnally and lying to her was the most difficult challenge he'd ever faced; even piloting Lancelot was easier than this.

"So there has still been no luck in locating my brother?" Nunnally asked softly, stirring some sugar into her cup of tea. Suzaku took a quick sip of his own drink, hoping that the scalding liquid would calm his stomach back down. He had told Nunnally that after the Black Rebellion Lelouch had been missing in action; not a lit but also not the full truth. The students of Ashford Academy had had their memories altered so that the absence of the Lamperogue siblings would not seem bizarre or unnerving.

"I'm afraid not. He wasn't among the dead, however, so there's still hope that he's alive somewhere," He said gently, reaching over and taking the smaller girl's hand in one of his. He sincerely wished he could comfort Nunnally and tell her the truth about what had happened. The only problem was that Suzaku was not willing to sacrifice everything just to appease the Emperor; tarnishing Nunnally's faith and adoration in her older brother, no matter what crimes he'd committed, was one thing he could not do in good faith.

She took her own hand back slowly and folded it with the other in her lap. He blinked, a little hurt by the gesture and understanding that she didn't want his sympathy, and returned his own hand to his lap as well. "That doesn't mean that he survived, Suzaku. It simply means that he may have gotten away from all the chaos before help arrived; he may have died somewhere else because of injuries and he just hasn't been found yet," She said n a soft, sad tone of voice. Suzaku blinked, stunned to hear such terrible things come from the little girl's mouth.

"Nunnally, you must remain optimistic about this," He said in a stern yet caring tone of voice. He wanted her to keep her faith that Lelouch was alive and well; her faith was all he had left. As long as Nunnally believed in her brother's well-being Suzaku could have some type of peace in knowing where he really was. He could delude himself as long as he kept Nunnally trapped in the fantasy with him.

"How can you ask that of me, Suzaku?" She asked softly, lifting her head and sounding completely appalled. Her face had scrunched up a little bit like she'd tasted something sour like when they were children. "I have been waiting four months to be reunited with my brother and every time I ask it's always the same thing! Lelouch would not have left me for this long unless he could not get his way back to me; and even if he was held up he would send me something to let me know that he was alive and would come back soon! He hasn't returned to Ashford Academy looking for me, he hasn't called and he hasn't sent any letters to try and reach me! My brother has to be dead!" She cried, tears beginning to leak from her closed eyes, her lids clamping together tighter as she tried to hold them back. It only caused more of them to fall down her cheeks. "Please… Please don't try to lie to me, Suzaku. I don't want to be tricked anymore." She whispered in a trembling tone, her little form shivering as she began to sob in to herself weakly.

"I'm so sorry, Nunnally," Suzaku whispered, closing his own eyes tightly and taking in a deep breathe through his nose. He knew that she was growing up but he didn't want her to have to face this matter of all things. Lelouch had always been so good to her, so gentle and devoted. He had loved Nunnally in a way Suzaku knew very few people loved each other during these times of strife and bloodshed. He had to swallow hard to fight back the urge to break down and confess to her all the secrets he'd been holding deep inside. The only thing that kept him from sharing was that he didn't feel anyone deserved to hear what he'd seen and live with the horrors that the same fate may have befallen their own flesh and blood.

"He was all I had left," She whispered, pulling out a cloth handkerchief. Suzaku recognized the thin white fabric with its laced border as a gift Lelouch had made for his precious little sister during the summer they'd all been living together on the Kururugi family lands. "Mother was dead, Father didn't want us and now Lelouch is gone. Sure, I have all my half siblings like Schneizel and Cornelia, but I don't know how to interact with them. They expect me to just be prim, proper and sweet all the time. I can't talk to them like I could with Lelouch and they don't understand how I do things like Lelouch did. They think I can't do anything alone, that I'm nothing but an invalid. My tutors and nurses treat me like a five-year old child. I just… I want my big brother." She sniffed weakly, dabbing her eyes with one corner of the handkerchief. He looked down while trying to fight back the guilt that was beginning to build up deep within him.

"Please don't cry, Nunnally," Suzaku said softly, feeling his body tremble. He took in a breath and tried to calm his obnoxious shakes; he was stronger than this! He looked at the sightless girl with a stiff upper lip, trying so hard to not let the guilt that was crawling around in his stomach overwhelm his senses. "I promise I'll find Lelouch; no matter what condition he's in."

She sniffled lightly and lifted her head again, tilting it toward him. "Thank you, Suzaku," She said softly. She set the little cloth down and reached over for his hand, which he gave her quickly. She gave it a little squeeze, dabbing her eye with the handkerchief with her other hand. "Thank you so much."

He nodded and closed his eyes, wondering what he would do now; he had succeeded in putting himself between a rock and a hard place.

…

The smell of chemicals seemed so much stronger in the current humid cell he was trapped in. There were only five holes at the top allowing any amount of air circulation into the small area. He paced anxiously, pausing occasionally to stare at the see-through wall in hopes of finding a way out. After five seconds of pondering he would turn away and begin pacing again. Lloyd smiled as he sat on the exam table, clipboard in hand, and watched the other walk around. "Movement hasn't been affected by the drugs in the slightest, although balance seems a little better with the added length to the spine," He mumbled as he jotted it down. He heard a thump and looked up, watching as the caged individual jumped as high as he could, trying to find a higher up escape route.

After crashing back to the ground, letting out a pained hiss, he shook his head and looked around again, hoping to find a vantage point to escape through. He walked over to the bed, hoped up, sat down, and just examined it, eyes jumping from here and there frantically. The scientist on the other side of the glass laughed lightly before scribbling something down again. He then stood and pulled out a large black machine with a long nozzle attached with a large suction cup at the end. The person trapped in the glass box hissed angrily, crouching down low and tight between the bed and the wall. He knew all too well what this meant.

Lloyd stuck it over the little holes in the top, reached over and turned the machine on. It let out a loud grinding noise while releasing a sleeping gas into the little area. He hummed and watched as the hissing and growling slowly died down, eyelids drooping and fluttering as the gas began to work. After the other was asleep he flipped a different switch that vacuumed out the sleepy fumes before he opened the door and looked down at the little figure.

The small victim was asleep soundly and wearing a very small version of the prisoner's outfit with a few altercations; the straps were removed and the sleeves shortened so that they barely covered his new hands that were a bit fluffier than they'd been before and now came equipped with long claws. His ears were now fluffy as well and sat atop his head like little triangles. He had a long black tail and his feet matched his hands. "Hmm. It appears that the subjects DNA has stabilized and merged with the feline genetics quite well. He has no issues, there have been no mutations, and his mind seems to be that of the animal I've fused him with. This little cage isn't big enough to satisfy his curiosity, though," He mused aloud, tapping his chin lightly with one hand. He then blinked and smirked devilishly, a familiar Japanese pilot's face popping into his head. "But if I place someone else in charge of his study and treatment, well, then I'll really know what's going on in his head."

The other remained silent, unaware of the plans in store for him.

End


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. I do own the plot. All songs used belong to their respective artists. Also, I have very little knowledge with fight scenes so please forgive any things I make reference to that might not make much sense.

_Remembering all of that moment.  
Naturally repeating that sin over and over.  
Realizing the reason it all ended.  
Having to go back to those days. – __Re-Birthday_by Len Kagamine

Chapter Two

Gino and Suzaku took their fighting stances across from each other in the small training room. Off to one side sat Anya Alstreim, Knight of Six, in a casual navy blue dress with her camera in hand. Suzaku had met her a few days ago, thanks to Gino, and had decided that there was something a little odd about the girl. He could really place his finger on it, but the eerie calm and monotonous tone she addressed every matter with unhinged him a little. When she and Gino were together, however, they seemed to pull off of one another; Gino being so sporadic and constantly perky and her so mild and more reserved. Suzaku had decided that he couldn't really stand being around either of them for too long alone because something about their relationship just seemed oddly familiar and left him running in a fog. He tried to ignore the flash of Anya's camera as he and Gino began to circle one another like opposing wolves warring over a recently fallen deer.

Gino lunged forward first, stomping one foot in Suzaku's direction. The young Japanese boy lifted his arms in front of his head and midriff in a defensive posture, arms tightening in expectation for a blow to be served up. Gino smirked at him a little bit, his foot slipped easily back into its previous position. "Pretty good; for a foreigner, that is," He taunted lightly. Suzaku kept up a calm façade because he had already started to catch on to the other male's way to try and goad him into letting emotion dictate his motions.

"I was about to say the same to you; only instead of 'foreigner' I was going to say prissy Brit," Suzaku said smoothly, a wry grin quirking up his features. A faint pink mist flushed up to the other's face and he snorted, steeling his position and resuming their slow circular waltz. "It appears I might have to make the first move. Oh well, I may as well." Suzaku said before rushing forward and aiming to kick the other in the head.

The blonde, however, grabbed his ankle, aiming to flip him. Instead, Suzaku threw his hands to the ground and forced his leg up against the other's fingers, aiming to clip him in the jaw. Gino moved his head back in the nick of time but the shock caused his grip on Suzaku's foot to slacken. Suzaku did a quick cart wheel, pushing himself from his handstand, and landed back on his feet with the grace and skill of a trained acrobat, naturally gliding back into another attacking pose. "Woah," Gino utter in shock before grinning in that child-like way of his and slipping back into his own spot. He shook his head a bit as he chuckled. "Anya's the only one I've trained with who has ever gotten that close to landing a blow on me. You've got serious skill."

"Really?" Suzaku asked in slight bewilderment. He cast his gaze to Anya, who was still holding her camera up toward them. He assumed that she was recording the fight, rather than taking pictures like he's thought. She had a thin, lithe little frame that seemed better suited as a ballerina or professional dancer in his opinion than a warrior; though, he realized, her figure definitely gave her a decent amount of speed which was essential in out witting the Knight of Three. When he turned back He saw Gino's fist making a dive for the side of his face. He caught it, twisted it, and made to sweep Gino's legs out from under him with the heel of one foot. Gino, however, had seen this coming and effectively forced one leg back awkward and tripping the brunette up instead, causing them to topple over gracelessly with Gino seated on Suzaku's gut. "Get off! You're heavy!" The other wheezed frantically.

"Whoops! Sorry, buddy!" He laughed lightly, jumping up and grabbing the other's arm, yanking him up to his own two feet in a matter of seconds. "I didn't really think that would work like it did!"

"That's why you really shouldn't think too much, Gino," Anya chimed in casually from the sidelines, ruby hued eyes still glued to the little screen of her camera. Gino let out an insulted little noise as he huffed and put his hands on his hips, clearly sulking like a small child.

"Why do you have to be so mean, Anya? Suzaku wasn't seriously hurt and my plan worked! That means that I win!" He declared in a huffy tone of voice. Anya finally tore her gaze away from her camera and looked between the other two teenagers.

"The winner is whoever came up with the most effective strategy without causing any type of damage to their opponent; according to those rules you are disqualified because you probably broke one of two of Suzaku's ribs when you landed on him," She said smoothly. Suzaku had been fighting back the urge to wince over how his side was aching and throbbing thanks to Gino's miscalculation.

"It isn't that bad, Anya. You shouldn't over exaggerate," He said calmly, lightly stroking his side. The other's eyes held sharpness as they looked at him, as if reading him for lies. Something about the eyes and their keen analysis reminded him of when he was younger and he'd met Lelouch; until they developed their mutual friendship he had always been scrutinized and sized up by the more petite boy.

"I have minor first aid training; remove your shirt, sit next to me and let me see if it is a mere over exaggeration on my part," She said calmly. He sighed and nodded, knowing there was no point in trying to argue with her. If he didn't just agree with her order she'd forced Gino to offer his assistance (of which Suzaku had clearly had enough of for one day). He removed his shirt as he headed over while Anya fiddled with her camera, probably saving the video and shutting it off until later use. He sat down calmly, making sure to sit so that his wounded side was facing her hands for easier access. For some reason, he suddenly realized that it was on his left side the other male had fallen; that was where he'd been shot when he refused to kill Lelouch so long ago. "You're in luck; no broken ribs." Anya suddenly chirped out, looking up at him.

"Ah, thanks," He said, standing back up and slipping his shirt back over his head. Gino suddenly jolted up and grinned happily, darting over to the entrance of the training room. Suzaku glanced up to see Nunnally seated in her wheelchair, smiling lightly.

"Why hello, Princess Nunnally! What are you doing here?" Gino asked happily. Suzaku had learned over the last few months that Gino had at one point been very close to the vi Britannia siblings, though he did confess that Lelouch had always seemed more interested in matters of politics than making friends with other aristocratic children. Suzaku had been told by Nunnally that Gino was the one of the only people (the only one other than Suzaku and her personal tutors) who ever came by to visit the young girl in her study room.

"My tutor decided to give me a small break from Mathematics and I decided to come see who was in here and how they were doing," She said cheerfully. Suzaku jolted up at this; she had told him many times that her math tutor, a man known as Sir Todd Poole, was a stickler and was always riding her about trying harder than she already was.

"Nunnally, you didn't sneak out of your tutoring session, did you?" He asked sternly as he approached. Gino looked between the two while a meek little frown turned up on the little girl's face.

'_How does a blind, crippled princess sneak away from a perfectly healthy adult in the middle of a Mathematics lesson?'_ He wondered to himself. He knew that asking such a thing aloud, with Her Highness Nunnally right there, would be terrible and could be punishable by him losing his rank.

"The lesson wasn't any fun and I wanted to talk to you about the matter we discussed the other day," She said sadly, head tilting down a little bit in shame. Gino left the two to their chat and headed over to Anya, the two beginning up with their usual banter of passive versus impassive tones. "I wanted to know if you'd had any free time to look in to the matter for me."

He knew, of course, that she was speaking of the matter involving her brother's status and location. He couldn't tell her the truth and hadn't thought up any elaborate lies to tell her yet to try and get the subject cast aside for a little while. "I don't think we should discuss that here, Nunnally," He said softly, falling to one knee to be better adjusted to her level. He took one of her hands carefully in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "You and I are the only ones here who know that Lelouch may be alive. We shouldn't get everyone's hopes up, should the worst be our results from the search." He said in a tone that was as delicate as he could muster.

She nodded in agreement and then tilted up, her head shifting toward the two bickering behind him. Suzaku glanced over at the two, watching them go back and forth like always in opposing tones, and smiled a little bit. When he shifted his gaze back to Nunnally, he saw tears spilling from her shut lids and her hands tugging her handkerchief up to dab away the tears. "I'm sorry, Suzaku," She whispered. A small, tragic smile turned up her lips that broke his heart. She was squeezing his hands as she took a trembling breathe. "I just… They sound a lot like you and Lelouch when we were children."

Suzaku's head shifted back to the two with a frantic gleam in his eyes and as he listened to their tones and phrasings he realized that she was right. How many times had he, as a child, approached Lelouch and started a conversation just like this? He would always be quick to jump between each of his emotional ranges while Lelouch would always remain brisk and blunt, tone free of too much emotion when aiming to prove the other wrong. For a moment he did now see the other two Knights of Round; he saw himself, standing in his old kendo gear, reeling into Lelouch with his arms flailing while the other kept his own face blank and his eyes focused on the open page of whatever book he had decided seemed interesting that noon. He shook his head and nodded, standing again. "I guess they kind of do. Anyway, I'll walk you back to your study room to make sure you don't get lost on the path of life," He said, awarding him with an innocent giggle from the younger individual.

He began to trek along the royal halls with their high walls of white stone, decorated with luxurious drapes and other things that seemed almost wasted in such a large and rarely cared about location. Suzaku had never understood the point in putting too much decoration in hallways or offices because they were only used as bridges between portions of the property or locales to discuss business. Suzaku mother had taught him to be "tasteful and not unnecessarily extravagant" and to this day he kept that principle close to his heart, clutching it as his only remaining bond to the long since departed woman. The halls of the palace in Pendragon had always left him feeling dishonest to her memory with how they were done up.

"Have you found anything new about Lelouch?" Nunnally asked after a moment of peaceful silence. He blinked and swallowed hard.

"I haven't had the chance to ask. I was planning to discuss it with His Highness as soon as he could find the time to permit me into his company," He explained, hoping that it was enough to make her feel a little better.

"My father is nearly impossible to meet with; even I have been unable to get a conference with him," She confessed sadly, head bowing down again. Jade orbs sparkled with bemusement but it the emotion was quickly tossed aside when he remembered all the things Lelouch used to tell him about the Emperor of Britannia. He had mostly thought it to be the mere curses of a child abandoned for his reckless rebellion but now understood that there was at least a small amount of validity to the old claims. "I want to ask him myself but it has been too hard. I was hoping that you, as a Knight of Round, would have a better chance of getting him to see you."

"But, Nunnally, you are a princess; your rank is much greater than mine," He said worriedly. He knew she'd been raised on the hospitality of the Ashford's and Lelouch's protective nature but he didn't think that should keep her from recognizing she was of royal blood. Despite being a Knight of Round for Britannia, though he'd never dare to even whisper it aloud, Suzaku still felt a surge of Japanese pride swell through him when someone mentioned he was Prime Minister Kururugi's only son. It would, after a brief second of pride, fill him again with the bitter self-loathing that came with knowing he'd murder the other man. "You have a better chance of getting council with His Majesty than I ever could."

"Father has never accepted many requests from us unless they came from Schneizel, Cornelia, or the few times Lelouch requested his presences. Schneizel is far too busy to meet with me as well, Cornelia has disappeared in search of some unknown thing, and Lelouch is the exact matter I wish to discuss so my only chances within the royal family are all gone. You'd be surprised at how powerless I really am, despite my royal title," She said with a small, hollow chuckle. It sounded awkward and unnatural coming from her. Had her brother being gone really caused her this much anguish?

"I will continue to attempt to get in to speak with your father to press the matter further. Until then, please focus on your studies and keep your thoughts of Lelouch on the positive side," He said gently. He perked up when a man with thinning brown hair, a matching beard and an all brown suit approached them. The other pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with one glove covered hand, brown eyes the picture of inner Zen.

"Good day, Sir Kururugi. Thank you for returning Princess Nunnally for her lessons; I shall take her back from here. Also, a man called Earl Asplund came looking for you not too long ago. He said that he wanted to talk to you about something and to head to the knightmare hangar as soon as you had a moment," He explained calmly before walking over. Suzaku stepped back and watched the other push Nunnally away. He fought the urge to ask if the mentioned mechanic had said anything else, knowing that even if he had asked the other would have withheld the information.

Aside from Gino and Anya, all the Britannians he'd met since becoming a Knight of Round only tolerated him because of his status rather than out of genuine respect.

…

It wasn't until after a surprisingly calm dinner with Anya and Gino that Suzaku found the time to go visit Lloyd and see what had been bothering the scientist. He had been trying to avoid Lloyd to the best of his ability ever since he had left Lelouch in the older male's care. That room he'd left the young man in haunted Suzaku's dreams and he'd hoped that keeping distance from the location would help him eventually push it from his mind. He walked in and caught sight of Lloyd immediately, seated at a desk and looking over the repaired Lancelot. "It looks good as new," Suzaku commented as he walked over. The other perked up and smirked lightly at him.

"Well we aren't done just yet. I have a few upgrades to make and then Lancelot will be even better than he was before!" He beamed happily before rising from his seat. He clapped lightly, causing his blue haired assistant to perk up. "Cecile, Suzaku and I have an errand to run~! I leave double checking the software updates on the Lancelot to you~!" He sang before turning and heading toward the door. Suzaku was filled with dread but kept it from showing on the surface. The other unlocked the door and let the Japanese boy slip past him first, locking it back up behind him after he walked in as well. "Do you remember what specimen 392 looked like, Suzaku?" He asked casually as he began to descend the stairs. Suzaku flinched at the mention of the beast he'd seen killed but swallowed hard and pursued the other male.

"Yes, I do," He said softly. How could he forget watching it claw at the glass before its jaw popped off? It was one of the horrors of war and science that Suzaku was certain he'd never manage to escape.

"The drug we were testing on it was a chemical to infuse human and animal genetics," He began to explain as if he was talking about his favorite thing in the whole world to do, "but, sadly, 392 wasn't compatible with the animal I chose. It's tragic, really, because I'd thought that a monkey would have been 392's closest match in physical appearance. I have to thank you, though, because I realized through testing said drug on specimen 393 that it has to be personality and mental capacity that must match. If you hadn't brought him to me I would never have found the key element to assuring the chemical would have the desired effect."

"Is that why you wanted to see me?" Suzaku asked calmly. He was hoping that this wasn't Lloyd offering him to say his finally farewell to the new specimen; he had wanted Lelouch to know justice, not be tortured and murdered.

"Actually, I needed to ask you a favor," Lloyd smiled as he paused in front of the door that led to the holding cells. He turned and smiled at the other in a way that made his blood turn to ice in his veins. "You see, specimen 393 is a little too energetic to keep in a cell. But I need to make sure he is monitored and his reactions to certain stimuli is well-documented. Would you be so kind as to take him in and record his daily doings and responses in a journal until a more permanent location can be found for him? You'll have to keep him with you at all times but he can't be seen by others, so we have a special kennel for him to be carried around in at all times. And he can still eat human food but be careful; he may have food allergies that none of us know about." Lloyd explained, waiting for his response.

'_Grapes and peanuts. As long as I keep him away from foods with grapes or peanuts he'll be fine,'_ Suzaku thought before nodding. He remembered when they were younger and Lelouch had told him that he couldn't eat the two foods while they awaited a maid to bring them some flavored shaved ice; Suzaku had wanted grape and Lelouch had wanted strawberry, causing the brunette to wonder why the other had such a preference. Suzaku had always felt that grape was the great flavor of anything. "I can take care of him as long as I have the kennel and you provide me with a journal to keep track of his status."

"Excellent!" Lloyd cheered happily before unlocking the knob and slowly pushing the door open. He poked his head in and then released a shrill, distressed cry and fell to his knees. Lelouch poked his head in, stepping from behind the other male, and blinked.

What appeared to a be a tiny replica of Lelouch sat on the surgical table like a cat with front paws resting between his back paws, his rear rested on the table. His black ears were tipped down and back, the corners curling up a little to resemble demon horns. His tail swished in slow, aggravated strokes, curling to tap his left front paw before snapping back around his back to touch the other. Aside for where he was seated, the surgical table upholstery had been ripped to ribbons and large chunks and little gouges of the cushioning beneath were absent. One the ground were a few shattered bottles and syringes, their contents spilled and mixing in with one another and the shards of broken glass. In those familiar gem-like eyes he saw irritation but also a dull sense of satisfaction with flooring the scientist. "You little beast! Those chairs are expensive!" He wailed loudly.

"This is what the chemicals did to him?" He asked as he stepped around Lloyd and approached the other. His eyes shifted from the man hunched in the doorway to the teenager heading toward him. Before Suzaku could reach out and pat his head, he growled lowly and took a swipe at him, aiming to scratch and leave a mark. Suzaku pulled his hand back before the blow could be landed, causing Lelouch's paws to slip back into its previous position while he continued to growl at him. "He's acting like a cat."

"It's part of the effects of the chemicals. Since his personality was compatible with a cat his mind has become like that of a cat though his body has maintained most of it's human appearance. It's really quite interesting; a much better reaction than the one specimen 392 had," Lloyd commented as he rose and strode over. He reached in to his pocket and pulled out a small black object with a white switch on one side of it and two metal prongs at one end. He reached over to the snarling half-cat and pressed the clod prongs to his cheek while flipping the switch. Lelouch let out a loud yowl of pain and toppled backwards, falling off the table and landing on the ground with a loud thump. He lay there, unmoving, for a moment before Suzaku knelt down to see if he was alive. "Don't worry; he just passed out. He's a little medical miracle that I need to keep alive for quite some time."

Suzaku could see two little red marks already beginning to blister against the cheek that had been zapped. He fought back the urge to grab the device and repeat the action to Lloyd only multiple times and in various locations by carefully picking the other up. Lelouch was so much lighter than Suzaku remembered, given that the other was now the size of a toddler, and his arms seemed to ache for the feel of the longer, slightly heavier and full frame the paler male had been gifted before the drugs were administered. Lloyd reached under the ruined table and pulled out a kennel much like the type you'd see a regular cat being put in. It was one of a bigger variety, better suited for a dog of a medium build, and had no bars or slits on it. There was a door that opened but it did not have little rectangular to allow any sight. The only holes were five little circles set at the top of the kennel, close to the handle. Lloyd opened the door, took Lelouch back, and calmly pushed his limp form in before shutting the door, the automatic lock clicking into place. "Now, you should keep him in here until he wakes up; he'll be familiar with this kennel and waking up in your room instead might just make him more stressed than necessary. Also, to avoid him repeating this action in your room, you should just have your meals brought up to your room," Lloyd said while heading over and rummaging through the trunk. He pulled out a journal and handed that to Suzaku as well. "Here's your journal and remember; you have to update it every day at the end of the day. And it must be as detailed as you can make it."

Suzaku nodded mutely before taking the handle of the kennel and heading off, eager to take Lelouch far away from this terrible room that smelt of pain and sorrow.

…

Suzaku sighed and watched Arthur, who was pacing circles around the kennel. It had been nearly two hours since Suzaku had returned to the room with Lelouch and still the other had not stirred at all. Suzaku assumed that either the smell of chemicals around Lelouch was unnerving the older cat or he could smell the scent of other cat and was eager to evaluate this foreigner as either a threat or a minor nuisance.

In reality, Arthur could smell the scent of a new male kitten mixed in with the familiar scent of the human who used to take care of him at Ashford Academy. Despite being a cat Arthur knew that something had been done to the human he recognized as one of his owners; one of his favorites, in fact. He remembered spending weekends lounging in the human's lap, one of those pale hands scratching at the base of his tail or under his chin like he liked, while the other was working on some rebellion plan or a scatter plot for his third period or how he smuggled him slices of chicken and fish while preparing dinner. He didn't care if his animal instinct dictated he beat the new male up until he recognized that Arthur was the alpha; he was going to try and watch out for whatever the young human had turned into.

Suzaku jolted up when he heard a small mewling noise come from the kennel. He walked over and pushed up the lock, opening the little door. In a blur of white and black, Lelouch darted into the center of the room, ears back and tail resembling a skinny feather duster, looking around in horror. Arthur sat back and blinked slowly, tail twitching while he tried to understand what was going on. "You don't need to be afraid, Lelouch," He said softly, watching him worriedly.

Lelouch shifted his gaze around, examining each corner of the room. After a moment of looking around he rushed over and ducked under the desk, ears slicked back and a low growl vibrating from him. Suzaku sighed and walked over, calmly pulling the desk chair out of the way and kneeling down to look at him. Lelouch growled and glared at him, shrinking back until he was as pressed against the wall as he could get. "Come on, Lelouch; don't be like this. I'm not going to hurt you," He said, reaching over to gently stroking his hair and coax him out. Instead Lelouch opened his mouth and bite him. Not only had Lelouch gained ears and a tail, his hands and feet changed into paws; his teeth had elongated a bit and resembled those of a cat more. "Ouch!" Suzaku yelped loudly, yanking his hand away and cradling it against himself. He looked down and saw blood already beginning to seep out of the new bite mark. It was deeper, longer and more painful than any bite he suffered at the paws of Arthur. He stood up and headed to the bathroom with a sigh. "I guess I'll write a quick update after I clean this and see if I can get you out later."

Suzaku headed into the bathroom and held his wounded hand over the sink so that it didn't get blood everywhere. He rummaged through his drawers and pulled out some alcohol pads and some bandages. It was deep and long but it would only need a few bandages in his opinion. After rinsing off some blood he ripped open the package and began to kill the wound. He let out a pained his, sat on the closed toilet lid, and sighed lightly. He remembered a few times when he'd been attacked at Ashford and been shoved to the Lamperogue home to be treated by the oldest sibling. "It's no big deal, Lelouch," He'd argue with a small laugh, trying to calm the other down.

"Arthur hasn't had all his shots yet and I'm not going to let you take any unnecessary risks. Now shut up and sit," He'd order, pointing to the counter of the sink before pulling out the necessary items. Suzaku, knowing it was futile to argue with the older male, sighed and hopped up, sitting while the other opened an alcohol pad and began swiping it over his cuts and bites.

"Ow! Lelouch, that seriously hurts!" He'd yelp back, wincing and trying to yank his hand back. Wrathful violet eyes would cause him to stop and sit, releasing little whimpers but not pulling back any longer.

"You're whining like this in yet you're supposed to be a soldier," He'd state flatly before throwing away the soiled pad. He would then pull out the gauze and wraps and set to work.

"I don't feel like I need to put up a strong bravado in front of you; I know I can be myself without you making fun of me or deeming it as weakness," Suzaku would state with a little grin on his lips. Lelouch would keep his gaze on his work but there would be a little bit of pink tinting his cheeks.

"Don't say things that make you sound like a fag, you moron!" The other male would snap but continue to do his hard work. But that was no longer the case because of Suzaku. Lelouch was now ducked under his desk with the brain of a four month old kitten, in the body of a four year old boy, with a huge fear of humans because of what a mad scientist had done to him. Suzaku finished pushing on his last bandage and then looked back out, seeing glow purple orbs watching him suspiciously.

'_You're really gone, aren't you, Lelouch?'_ He thought sadly, turning his attention to look at his own reflection. He could fell tears prick at his eyes as he realized that he and Nunnally were the only ones who remembered Lelouch; not even _Lelouch_ could remember Lelouch anymore! He bowed his head and pressed one of his hands against his forehead. _'Even if you aren't physically dead you are dead; you'll never be the real Lelouch ever again.'_

_'Cause I'm gonna lose you.  
Yes, I'm gonna lose you.  
If I'm gonna lose you  
I'm gonna lose you now for good. – __Lose You_ by Pete Yorn

…

Cici tossed the spare Zero mask Lelouch had always kept in reserves in the air and then caught it casually. He had the second uniform made so that, in case of emergency, Cici could slip in to it and help him keep up his school-boy-by-day-warrior-of-justice-by-night act up. She remembered once comparing him to Sailor Moon, singing the lyrics "Fighting evil by moonlight, winning love by day light," after he'd explained the reason for the second outfit.

"And who, pray tell, would you be implying to be Tuxedo Mask? You know I have no interest in the girls of Ashford," He had said bluntly, a small smirk worming up on his lips. She had smirked back at him, a knowing glint in her wicked amber orbs, and he had turned away quickly. She had always suspected that Lelouch was gay (ever since he was a young boy, really) and wasn't surprised that he and Suzaku were secretly in a rather modest relationship; they never did anything in public and only kissed and cuddled under the safety of the Lamperogue home. Tragically ironic that he had been betrayed by the very man he was romantically involved with.

But now Lelouch was gone and she was trying to pick back up the shattered pieces he'd left in his wake.

She found out that the Four Swords of Japan, along with Tamaki and Ohgi and some other Black Knights, had been captured and were being held until a later date. She knew that this so called later date was the day of their public execution. So many Elevens had been captured over the last few months from various places across the country, however, that she knew they were at the bottom of the barrel currently. Charles would not care if they were Black Knights; he wanted people killed in order of when they were captured. He also only permitted one gathering of a maximum of twenty people per public execution because he said the Britannians needed to have that little boost once a day or so. "This whole country is corrupt and now Japan's only hope is gone. How tragic," She said aloud, very aware of the elephant in the room. Then again, that elephant was more like a fiery half Japanese knightmare piloting ace by the name of Kallen Koizuki, but Cici didn't feel the need to be polite.

"Look, I know I shouldn't have run off like I did but what's done is done! Either stop chastising me for it or I'll ditch you!" She snapped angrily, standing and glaring. Cici tilted her head back, craning it over the edge of the bed, to get a better look at her new ally. Kallen was currently wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, a red tee shirt with a star in the center, black denim jacket tossed over that, and a pair of dirty old running shoes. Her hair was styled into its usual spikes.

"How much longer until we're heading off to meet up with the Black Knights you were able to locate?" She asked smoothly, pushing herself up into a sitting position. She twisted herself around and set her sock-clad feet on the floor.

"We should leave right now if we want to make it there on time," She said in response, plucking a pair of sunglasses with white frames off of the coffee table of the small apartment they had gotten. They were going to have to blend in, and given that Kallen had been revealed as a Black Knight at Ashford Academy, returning to the Stadfeld home was not an option. Cici walked over to the closet and rummaged through, looking for a jacket of Lelouch's. She had snuck back into Ashford to get her Cheese-Kun only to find two soldiers of Britannia there, gathering Lelouch's clothes and things and tossing them into a pit. When they went off to find some newspapers, gasoline and matches to light the object on fire she had grabbed everything she could in her arms and darted back to where Kallen was waiting with a large gym bag to carry their things. She made one last trip out there while the soldiers were still searching and grabbed as much of the rest as she could. She had separated the things in accordance to clothes and not clothes, tossing his books and laptop into a plastic bin she kept next to her bed. "Could you hurry it up?" Kallen growled while the green haired witch gently plucked Lelouch red and black jacket from a coat hanger, looking at it tenderly.

"To think I watched you grow up and now who knows what has happened to you, Lelouch," She whispered to herself, one hand stroking the fabric. She then sighed and slipped herself into it, leaving it unbutton to reveal the white sleeveless turtle neck she wore beneath it. "What kind of guardian am I?" She mumbled into the collar before slipping on a pair of black tennis shoes. Kallen grabbed her set of apartment keys and followed her out.

After locking up and shoving the keys back into her jacket pocket, Kallen followed Cici down the cement steps and out into the street. Neon lights and flashing signs surrounded them, advertising gambling or prostitution. There were a few people on the streets, wearing trench coats with the collars popped up to cover their faces with hats and sunglasses on to help hide their features. They both knew that they were wealthy Britannians, not wanting to be seen heading out toward the ghettos where the Elevens lived in squalor. Why pay full price for a Britannian whore when an Eleven would do the same for enough money to feed her two father-less children? It made Kallen's stomach wretch but she swallowed and followed Cici out farther down the street. A taxi cab pulled up and Cici slipped in wordlessly, followed closely by Kallen. "Thank you for agreeing to do this," Cici stated calmly.

"It is my job to protect Lelouch, as ordered by the Ashford's. And if is truly Zero, it will be my pleasure to help Zero escape Britannia and crush them," The female behind the wheel stated calmly, tilting her head back to look at them. Kallen blinked a few times in shock but recognized her as the mild-mannered maid of the Lamperogue home, Sayako. She was currently wearing a blue baseball cap, jeans and a large black tee shirt. She turned her attention back to the windshield and began driving.

"I told you I had a better way to get there than on foot," Cici mused from her seat, shifting her gaze to look out the window with a smug smirk on her lips. Kallen let out a small scoff, turning to glare out her own window as well. Cici kept the smug look on her features but inside she was churning in a sea of unease. _'Where could you be, Lelouch? You aren't at Ashford, you aren't in Pendragon as far as my source there knows, and you certainly aren't here anywhere. Are you in a different Area? Or a different city in Britannia to be monitored better? No, that'd be too risky; if you weren't somewhere your father could keep an eye on you himself you'd be too much of a danger. So where exactly are you being hidden at?'_

She remained lost in her thoughts until they reached the docks and Sayako had parked the car in the shadows out of sight. "Shall we then?" The maid asked calmly, turning off the car and pulling out her key. Cici nodded and opened her door, slipping out into the lukewarm air that held the strong aroma of fish and salt water. She'd never cared for the smell of fish; it bore the smell of the dead in her opinion. She started to walk toward the small area beneath the bridge, where the others they were meeting with should have been located.

She perked up and smiled a bit when she saw them. There was only three of them, but she hadn't expected any more than that. Kaguya was there, for once dressed in street clothes that consisted of a white dress with red sleeves and black platforms that wrapped around her pale calves and tied off in bows at the bottom of her knees, where the edge of the dress ended. With her was Deithard, clad in his usual dark blue suit with matching slacks and maroon undershirt. Another had come, a foreigner. She knew only that his name was Takashi Higurashi and he was the leader of a small rebellion force in Hokkaido that hoped to collaborate with Zero's infamous Black Knights. He wore a dark green long sleeved shirt that complimented his sandy brown hair and black jeans. "Thank you for coming," Cici stated politely as Kallen and Sayoko strode to her sides.

"You said you had news involving Zero, right?" Kaguya asked, hope and panic clear in her eyes. She nodded and cleared her throat lightly.

"Zero is not dead. I do not know what they've done with him, or where he may be, but he certainly is among the living still," She said smoothly. _'Considering his ghost hasn't come to visit me yet is sign enough.'_ She thought while she watched the other three. Kaguya and Deithard looked as if they may weep with joy, tears actually pooling in the young girl's eyes, and the other male looked completely stunned.

"So why hasn't Britannia killed him yet? He's their greatest threat and should he escape somehow he could return to the Black Knights and rally his troops to staggering numbers," Takashi commented calmly.

"Again, I don't know too much except that he isn't dead. Perhaps they're trying to get information out of him through torture and just wanted everyone to think him dead so no one would come looking for him," She said with a casual shrug. Kaguya let out a fearful squeak when she said this while Deithard flinched and Takashi nodded.

"Our best option would be to capture someone high up in their ranks and force the information out of them," Takashi stated calmly, looking between them.

"Why don't we catch that traitor Kururugi? He used Zero to get up in to the Knights of Round," Deithard stated flatly and Cici's eyes widened. How could she have missed that? She smirked devilishly and chuckled lightly, causing all eyes to shift to her in surprise and curiosity. It had been right in front of her face!

"I have a plan. Kaguya and Kallen, you two will be coming with me. Deithard, keep trying to round up as many of the Black Knights as you can. Make sure they understand that until further notice they need to blend in and not cause any trouble. We don't want them thinking anything is up. Sayoko, keep an eye and Deithard and make sure he's safe; if people realize that he's reassembling the Black Knights in secret they'll want him taken out. Takashi, do the same as Deithard in Hokkaido. Try and rally the groups together; use Zero's name to persuade them," She stated before turning and heading back toward the taxi. Kaguya, Kallen and Sayoko rushed after her worriedly.

"What's your plan?" Kallen asked suspiciously as she caught up to her. She smirked at her over her shoulder.

"Lelouch left me a nice little sum of cash from his winnings with gambling. So let's get some tickets and go pay Suzaku a little visit," She said as she walked. Suzaku Kururugi was the only remaining link to Lelouch and he was going to help them; whether he liked it or not.

End

I decided that I'll be answering any questions that I feel aren't too much of spoilers for the rest of this fic just since I want to make sure everything it clear at the end of each chapter. So if you have questions, I'll let you knwo what's up! On to the first round...

To Atheist1: There will be a cure developed later on but you'll have to keep reading to know more than that. x3

To Skiperella: I was actually inspired in that scene through listening to the song Risoukyou (Utopia) by Len Kagamine when writing that scene. The song is about a world where human memories are downloaded into android bodies to avoid dying due to a nuclear holocaust and the reaction one young man has when his girlfriend looks nothing like she did as a human, instead opting to have an android body that looks like a female version of him. It's basically bringing up the question of what humanity and life really mean, and if love can really exist after being changed so drastically, to what a lover may consider a horrific degree. Though, after reading your review, I will admit I may have been subconsciously inspired in part by that scene since I absolutely love that series. I'll give credit where credit is due… So, a combination of Full Metal Alchemist and Len Kagamine will be reasoning for that scene. And also, the rating has gone up for more than one reason. xD

To starlight luna (though I think yours may have been a more rhetorical inquiry): Hmm… I'm thinking that Nunnally will cry and weep senselessly, begging to know why, while Cici and Kallen will gather a mob to attack Suzaku. Suzaku… Well, he'll probably have Lulu so he'll be playing with him and a feather toy… Lol.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. I do own the plot. All songs used belong to their respective artists. Also, I forgot to mention, but let's pretend Euphemia never ordered Suzaku to love her, okay?

_Welcome to the Hotel California.  
Such a lovely place.  
Such a lovely face.  
Plenty of room at the hotel California.  
Any time of year, you can find it here. – __Hotel California_ by Eagles

Chapter Three

The last week with Lelouch had been surprisingly difficult for Suzaku. Lelouch refused to come out from under the desk and Suzaku had to suffer injury when getting him into his kennel. He had to struggle for a half an hour every day getting Lelouch into his kennel and whenever he would set food and water down for the half-cat, he would ignore it and stay where he was. Every morning, however, the food and water would be gone; whether from Lelouch actually eating and Arthur pillaging it he couldn't rightly say. He sighed and opened the kennel after his training session with Gino and Anya. He was surprised that Lelouch was quiet during the sessions and the other two accepted his explanation of "Lloyd needs me to watch after an experiment but I'm not allowed to say more than that." He blinked when Lelouch came out and didn't run away right away.

"Mew," He called, looking up at him. The mark from where Lloyd had zapped him a few days earlier looked worse; it was a little swollen and looked like it may have caused cuts that could be getting infected. Suzaku had tried a few times to catch Lelouch, but he didn't see a point in them both needing medical treatment and decided to wait until Lelouch slept. Which, he had noted, was another nuisance about the cat; he never seemed to sleep and whenever Suzaku had tried to stay up longer than him he fell asleep first and by the time he woke up Lelouch was already awake again.

"That hurts pretty bad, doesn't it?"He asked, holding his hand out toward him curiously. Lelouch watched it cautiously and Suzaku made sure to move slowly so as to not to startle the smaller figure. He gently rested his hand on Lelouch's head and lightly massaged his scalp. The other didn't growl, hiss, or make any noise or movement so Suzaku assumed he was most likely a little subdued because of the pain on the side of his face. He had hurt that after getting hurt a cat would go for days acting violently until the pain became too much and then they'd begin to settle a little bit; he decided at that moment that was the reason for the smaller boy's actions. "Well, if you promise to behave, I'll take care of that for you." He said while pulling his hand back and getting up. Lelouch jumped and jolted away, tail beginning to fluff out and ears beginning to flatten to his head.

"Reow," Lelouch growled lowly, watching him warily. Suzaku blinked then chuckled lightly and walked toward the bathroom calmly and slowly. He could hear the soft shifting of Lelouch pursuing him, watching and waiting to make sure he wasn't going to try anything funny on him. He could only assume Lelouch was so high-strung now because of the drugs Lloyd had loaded him up with.

"I'm just getting a first aid kit so calm down," He chuckled lightly. He plucked the kit off the sink (since he needed it to be convenient, given Lelouch's mean streak) and then walked back out, laughing lightly when Lelouch darted back to his previous spot from peering in through the bathroom doorway. Suzaku sat back down on the edge of his bed before reaching over cautiously and picking Lelouch up. He let out a little grumble in response but after Suzaku set him on the bed next to him and went to getting the medical things from the kit he fell silent again. His tail was swishing anxiously behind him, as if he was wondering if this had been a good decision on his part. "You've never second-guessed yourself before, Lelouch. Where's all your confidence gone?" He asked with a forced laugh. His answer was silence and the other's head tilting to the side slightly. "Uh… Never mind. Even if you could talk, you wouldn't be able to respond; you don't remember anything." As the words left his lips he felt his heart stop for a second before picking up speed twice as fast. He picked up an alcohol pad and ripped open the package, opening it and reaching over.

Lelouch hissed and tried to pull away from him when it came in to contact with his injury and he felt the pain. Suzaku grabbed his wrists in his other hand and pinned them to the mattress, making it impossible for Lelouch to get away. The other tried to yank away before looking up, amethyst orbs the picture of pathetic. "Mew," He cooed in a hoarse, pained and scared cry. Suzaku swallowed hard and continued to treat the injury, using two more alcohol pads before deciding it was clean enough. Lelouch released pathetic little cries the whole time while Arthur, from his perch lounging atop Suzaku desk, just watched with an annoyed and bored glint to his eyes.

"I know that you don't like this but it's for your own good, Lelouch," Suzaku said with a heavy sigh, rummaging through the kit with his free hand. He pulled out a large square shaped bandage and used his teeth to finish opening it. He set it to one side, having not taken the white bits of plastic that revealed the sticky portion of the bandage off yet, pulled out a little bottle of Neosporin. He used his teeth to unscrew the cap, afraid Lelouch would make a break for it if he let go of his hands, and used the elbow of the hand holding Lelouch's paws down to push some of the medicine on to the index finger of his free hand. He carefully rubbed it in, smiling when Lelouch shut the eye closest to the wound.

Lelouch had developed that habit when they were children. Suzaku could remember one day Lelouch had tripped over a tree root and got a scrape on his collarbone and a little scratch on his left cheek bone. While Nunnally held the first aid kit, handing things to Suzaku through the remembrance of what they felt like, Suzaku played doctor. When he'd been rubbing in the anti-bacteria ointment, Lelouch had done this exact same gesture. "Are you really that much of a wimp?" Suzaku had asked in sheer bemusement, tilting his head and grinning teasingly. The Britannian flushed angrily at this and had glared daggers at the chortling Japanese boy.

"It's to make putting the ointment on better! If my eye is shut it makes you less concerned that you might push your finger up too high and accidently blind me!" He proclaimed frantically.

"Makes me less concerned about whether you're a total pansy or not; I know the answer now," He had snickered back. Lelouch had ignored him rather adamantly after that for a good two days. He only forgave the other because he gave him the gift of a bowl of green tea ice cream; a favorite dessert of Lelouch's since coming into the care of the Kururugi's. Suzaku was snapped back into reality when he realized he was done rubbing in the ointment. He then released Lelouch's wrist, watching to see what the other would do.

He was shocked when the other remained in his seat, watching him with a mix of pain and impatience in his eyes. Suzaku chuckled and tugged the plastic things of the bandage and very carefully pressed it to the other's cheek, smiling a little more when he again shut his eye. "That was either just a reflex or perhaps you remember that you're supposed to do that," He said aloud. He blinked and nearly jumped into the air when Lelouch laid down, resting his little paws on Suzaku's thigh and then resting his head on top. He gently rested his hand on top of the other's little head and let his fingers muse through his hair. And he realized right then and there that it felt very wrong.

He had always harbored feelings for Lelouch and when they began their little affair he had been overjoyed. Euphemia was the only person Suzaku had to come out to; he never told her it was Lelouch, for fear she'd come hunting her younger brother down and whisk him away to Britannia, and he had loved her for accepting him for who he was, not caring that he was an Honorary Britannian and gay.

But he and Lelouch were certainly an odd pair. Though Suzaku was the more emotional one of the pair, while Lelouch practically emitted waves of inner peace at all times, Suzaku had to be the one to initiate almost all the physical contact; kissing, snuggling, holding hands. But Lelouch did have one thing that only he did and that was run his fingers through Suzaku's hair. The brunette had tried to reciprocate the gesture once but his hand had been swatted away. "This is going to be my way to help you relax; you're always stressing and if you aren't careful you'll look thirty by the time we graduate from this place," He had lectured before resuming his task. And Suzaku always loved how Lelouch's fingers slipped in and massaged his scalp, letting his troubled mind slip away from everything in the world except the object of his affection.

But now here he was repeating that same gesture on Lelouch in hopes of calming the other down.

He had been trying to deny his feelings for Lelouch all this time. After he realized that Lelouch was Zero, that Lelouch had killed Euphemia, a part of Suzaku had shut down and remained off until recently. It had begun to stir and awaken when he first handed Lelouch over to Lloyd, and then become more persistent after talking to Gino a few times about the "dead" prince. But when he had taken Lelouch away from Lloyd, when he realized that Lelouch was forever gone, the light switched on completely but it was much like being awoken by a parent; just because the lights are on that doesn't mean you can't pull the blanket over your head to try and block it out. You can recognize that the lights are on and choose to ignore them, which was what Suzaku had chosen to do. But now, as his fingers whispered through those ebony locks, it was like when your parents yank the blanket clean off your bed and force you to face the light. He was now realizing what he'd really done to both Lelouch and himself.

And now the big trick was finding a way to somehow reverse it.

_And I still hold your hand in mine.  
In mine when I'm asleep. – __Goodbye My Lover_ by James Blunt

…

Kallen clenched her fists tightly as she looked around the Pendragon red light district. There were all sorts of brothels set up with different numbers painted on them in bright yellow paint. "What exactly are we doing here?" She asked in disgust. It didn't help that Kaguya, who was scared out of her gourd, was latched on to her arm. Cici cast a look at them over her shoulder and let out a short scoffing sound.

"My source here in Pendragon lives in this area. She actually runs one of the booths, since the old owner died," She said bluntly, stopping in front of one booth. The number eleven was etched on the top, making both other girls cringe back a little bit. "Don't worry; you'll be safe here." She said before pushing open a door and leading them in with her.

The large place looked like a traditional Japanese hotel; the floors were wooden and the tables were low and against the ground, forcing their users to kneel. It made Kallen smirk a bit in pride at the sight of so many Britannian men kneeling to the Japanese servers, though she knew what was really going on. There were girl's in breathtaking, extravagant kimonos sitting at the tables, talking with men and giggling coyly now and again at what they said. Though neither girl would admit it, the place seemed surprisingly classy for a whore house.

Kaguya perked up and glanced over at a woman sitting on an elevated platform next to the bar. She wore a hakama with a white top and dark red pants. The sleeves of the top were rolled and bunched at her shoulders and she sat with a sword in a glossy black sheath by her folded knees. Her eyes were shut, as if she were meditating, and she had a white bandana tied over her head to keep her hair out of her way and out of view. But Kaguya could have sworn something was familiar about the woman. A loud shriek was heard, followed by a man rushing down the stairs after a Japanese woman, her body barely hidden as she clung to her loose kimono and tried to run away. She was crying out for help in Japanese. The woman in the corner opened her eyes, deep jade spheres shard and scornful. The rambling woman rushed up to the one sitting down, whispering softly and hurried in Japanese too quickly for Kaguya or Kallen to understand; after being forced to speak English for so many years it was hard to use their native tongue on occasion.

The woman rose calmly, picking up her sword, and stepped over the sniffling girl. "You have broken one of our rules, yes?" She asked in a calm tone. Her voice was a light soprano but sounded dark, with a sharp edge, as she addressed the Britannian man. They also noticed that though her speak was perfect she clearly had an accent implying she was Japanese.

"What rules?" The man huffed with a sharp glare. The glare he received from the woman was infinitely more intimidating.

"This is not your first time breaking our rules, Duke Southfield. I am afraid I will have to request that you leave these premises and never return; you have worn out your welcome," She said briefly, keeping the man's gaze. His eyes widened, completely put out to be treated so by a lowly number.

"Who the hell do you think you are, ordering me around like that?" He bellowed, aiming to grab the woman. Instead, she moved her sword between them and gaze a quick jab, making contact right in his stomach. He let out a huff and tumbled over, laughter erupting from the other Britannians gathered in the brothel. The woman unsheathed her sword and pointed it at the man's throat, pressing in a little bit and watching a thin trickle of red drip out.

"I am the owner of this fine location, sir, and my rules will be adhered to. If you should ever come here again, I will see to it personally that you never be heard from again; one lowly bastard like you missing from the world will be overlooked much easier than you'd be willing to believe," She hissed darkly. The men continued their laughter, too drunk to hear the threat or care if it was serious or not.

"Getting told off by an Eleven woman? How low can you get?" One man laughed loudly. This little joke made the noise intensify and a blush hit the man's face as he scrambled to regain his footing. The woman put her sword away and watched him dart off, holding the small scratch on his neck as if he would die from it.

"Well it certainly is good to see you again, Kururugi," Cici said with a small smirk. The other woman twitched and looked up, a large smirk coming to her lips as well. And suddenly, with a gasp and pounce at the Japanese woman, Kaguya remembered how she knew the other woman.

"Auntie Rin, is it really you? Tohdoh said you were killed in the war!" She sniffled, hugging the other woman fiercely. She heard a soft chuckle in the other's chest and arms wrapped around her. Kaguya's mother had died shortly after she was born of illness so Rin Kururugi, her aunt, had been the closest thing to a mother she'd ever known. She had been crushed when Tohdoh told her and Suzaku that the other woman was dead.

"There now, Kaguya, don't cry. Shall we all retire to my private chambers to continue our discussion?" She asked politely. They nodded and, after briefly checking on the young woman who had stumbled out in tears and assigning another woman to her previous post as watchdog, Rin lead them up the stairs. She opened a door at the very end and the three women following her were stunned when they saw a little boy burrowed under the covers of the bed. "Ah, you were never told. This is Lindo, Suzaku's younger brother. I was pregnant with him when the war started."

"Why did Tohdoh tell us all you had died, though?" Kaguya asked worriedly. Rin gestured one hand to the small table and the three sat while she clicked a button and requested someone bring up a tea pot and four cups and that a room with three beds be prepared. She then slipped down in the open spot and sighed lightly.

"Suzaku's sin… People suspected that I was the one who committed it. Tohdoh and I agreed that it was safer for Suzaku to think I'd died in the war than be forced to live with the guilt if I was put to death," She explained gently.

"You mean the murder of Kururugi Genbu," Cici said bluntly, causing both other girl's to flinch. They both knew the truth of what transpired but hadn't known if the others had. Hearing it said out loud just made it that much more terrible to think about. "So you faked your death to protect Suzaku from even more self-loathing and guilt."

"I've been guarding over him all these years in secret. When it was announced he was a Knight of Round I brought Lindo and myself out here. That way if he ever needed us we weren't too far away," She explained gently. A knock was heard and she rose, heading to the door and returning with a cart with hot tea. She set a cup in front of each one of them before sitting again and pouring it for them. "I've been telling you what I can from here so I wasn't expecting you to come out here. Why have you, if you don't mind me asking."

"It involves Marianne's final gift, actually," Cici said, calmly sipping her tea. Rin blinked a few times, alarm in her bright green eyes, before she set the tea pot back down and picked up her own cup. "It seems your son has gone and complicated things for us; someone needs to go screw his head back on straight. And who else is more inclined to do so than his own family and friends?" She asked, smirking as she set her cup back down.

"You clearly have a plan of action and considering the stunned looks on the faces of our other two guests, I'm going to have to guess that they don't know any more than I do. Would you like to share your little idea with the rest of us?"

"Kallen here is half Britannian and her father is very well known. You've heard of the Stadfeld name, I'm sure?" Cici asked. The brunette glanced up through her sip of tea and chuckled lightly, setting her cup back down with a small nod. "Well, Kaguya and Kallen shall go get a hold of Suzaku for us. They'll give him this address and tell him to come by here any time he finds himself able to get away for the night. And then, once he comes, we'll explain what he's done and how to repair it."

"And have you gotten in to contact with Marianne as of recent times?" Rin asked, leaning back a bit. Kallen and Kaguya remained silent, watching as the late Prime Minister's wife and the assistant of Zero, both cunning and clever in terms of politics and combat, discuss these plans and secret goings-on of the dead.

"She and I have talked a bit. Things are still going well on her end; V2 is causing some grief, filling Suzaku's heads with things he does not need to know, but he does not suspect her. She is keeping up her disguise quite well," Cici said with a nod. Rin smirked devilishly and nodded.

"But should we expect any better than the great Marianne the Flash?" Kallen and Kaguya both gasped loudly at this, staring with wide eyes. Marianne the Flash was one of the greatest knightmare pilots in Britannia and also the late Empress of Britannia; her assassination was one of the reason war broke out between Japan and Britannia. The finger had been pointed at the island country for her death and, since the Emperor wanted control of the world anyway, he saw it as another reason to start his conquest.

"Very true. Well, it's been a long day. Will you be up to the tasks coming up?" She asked curiously as she stood. The other three women followed her action and Rin released a loud bark of laughter.

"Are you kidding? I may have grown in to being a loving mother and wife but that doesn't mean I can't handle myself in combat," She said with a smug smirk. Cici smirked back and nodded, leading her two comrades out. Your room is the one closest to the stairs; make sure to lock it after you get in." She informed them. After they were inside their room Rin closed the door and headed back to her post, locking her own door behind her as well.

Kallen flopped over on one of the beds and looked over at Kaguya. "So what exactly did she mean by that last comment? I was always taught that Lady Kururugi was a woman born of grace and infinite patience, not one who could fight or wield a sword," She asked calmly. Kaguya giggled as she bounced on her own bed a bit.

"That's because Uncle Genbu didn't want anyone to know the truth. Before they met, Auntie Rin was one of the strongest yanki's in all of Japan," She said matter-of-factly. Kallen's eyes widened, turning a more ocean-like blue in her amazement. "Uncle Genbu didn't want Auntie Rin's past getting out because he feared it could affect how people viewed Suzaku. It was actually because of her past that Suzaku got his name."

"Really?" Kallen asked in shock.

"Rin was known as the Phoenix of Blood. To try and get back at Genbu for making her lie about her past, she named Suzaku as she did," Cici stated calmly. Kallen sweat-dropped at this.

'_So his name was chosen out of spite, not love; I almost feel bad for him,'_ She thought flatly before shaking her head. "So is there anything in specific we should tell Suzaku tomorrow when we see him? I mean, other than giving him the address to this place?" She asked. Cici paused in her task of undoing her boots and looked up, a small smile on her lips.

"Now that you mention it… Yes, there is," She mused.

…

_I worry I won't see  
Your face light up again. – __Collide_ by Howie Day

Suzaku was surprised that, after having his wound treated, Lelouch seemed to adjust to him much better. That night he had hopped up on the bed with him and curled up against the other's stomach. The blanket was still between them, but Suzaku had been truly touched. He had been told that sometimes kittens would take time adjusting to their new surrounding before becoming affectionate with their owners and clearly that was the case with his little half-cat friend. Getting the little fellow into his kennel, however, was as difficult as ever. "Lelouch, if you just calm down it'll be a lot easier for both of us," He grunt, trying to push him in. The other, however, had pushed his little back feet against the mouth of the kennel and was digging his front claws into Suzaku's arms, also gnawing on him with his little teeth. Luckily Suzaku had prepared this time; he had put on some leather gloves that went up to his elbows.

After he got the other in he slipped it shut and tossed the glove off to the side. "Mew, mew, mew! Mreow!" Lelouch wailed from inside the carrier, little paws scratching at the shut door.

"I know you don't like it in there," Suzaku sighed as he picked up the handle and headed toward the door, "but I have to do what Lloyd said. He was sort of right; if anyone else saw you, things would get complicated. And I don't think Nunnally should ever find out that you were Zero or what's been done to you."

"Meow," Lelouch retorted softly.

"Not one for conversation any more, huh? You used to be impossible to shut up once you got going," Suzaku mumbled as he walked out. He stopped as he shut his door and blinked a few times, his stomach churning a bit at the revolting attempt at a joke he'd made. This certainly wasn't something to be laughing about; and though he wasn't laughing he shouldn't be making jokes about. "That was in bad taste. I'm sorry." He mumbled lightly.

He walked in to the training area and perked up when Gino grinned at him. "You're a lucky, lucky man, Suzaku! There's a totally cute girl asking to see you!" He said with his usual grin in place. He blinked a few times, confusion lighting up his green eyes.

"Did she give a name?" He asked gently. He feared that C2 had come in search of Lelouch and he didn't want her going anywhere near Lelouch. She would try to take him away, he was sure of it, and he felt the witch had already done enough damage.

"Kallen Stadfeld; says you went to school with her in Area 11," Gino said casually. Suzaku flinched and growled quietly, his hand tightening around the handle of the carrier case. The blonde perked up curiously then grinned lightly. "Oh, is she an ex-girlfriend or something? That should be really uncomfortable. But she has a girl like you with her too, so maybe she's just trying to get to you? Black hair, green eyes, a little paler than you?" He suggested quickly.

Suzaku's eyes widened in surprise at the description. _'That sounds like Kaguya,'_ He thought. He then blinked and looked back over at the other knight. "Where are they waiting for me? I think it'd only be fair if I went and talked with them since they came all the way here to see me."

"They're out by the gates to the palace. Since we didn't have your confirmation that you knew them we didn't want to let them on the grounds," Anya piped in from looking through her cameras files. He glanced over and then nodded.

"I'll be right back then. I'll go chat with them real fast and see if we can't reschedule for a better time," He said before darting off. He took the carrier with, his steps quick and long. He heard Lelouch make little noises, being jostled about in his carrier, and paused. "Sorry." He mumbled before carrying the kennel in his arms like he would carry Arthur is he was not in the kennel. He didn't want to shake Lelouch around anymore but he did want to get to his location as quickly as possible.

When he stepped out and reached the gates to the palace, he saw that his theory was indeed correct; Kallen and Kaguya both stood there with little scowls on their faces. Kaguya blinked then smiled brightly as he walked over. "How nice to see you again, cousin," She said happily, resting her hands on the bars of the gate. Lelouch mewed again and she looked down. "Is that a kitten? Can I see it?" She asked excitedly.

"Is it Arthur?" Kallen asked in surprise. The kennel didn't seem like the type of kennel you'd put a normal cat in; then again, given that the purple furred cat had a taste for the Japanese male's flesh and blood she shouldn't have been too surprised. "Any way, we wanted to talk to you. On our terms."

"What do you mean by that?" He asked suspiciously. She rolled her eyes and slipped a piece of paper to him. He looked at the address and then shoved it into his pocket. "Is that where you're staying?"

"With someone who would be more than happy to see you again," Kaguya chimed in. She tilted her head lightly and reached out, resting her hand on his wrist. He resisted the urge to flinch back; physical contact with other people was always difficult due to his military training. Or, at least, physical contact with anyone other than Lelouch was difficult. "Please, Suzaku, we need to talk to you. Things aren't what they seem anywhere and we all need to figure out what to do."

"I'll see if I can come by… But don't hold your breath," He said before pulling back, turning on his heels and marching away. The red head noted there was a bizarre spark in his eye, something she couldn't recognize because how brief her sight of it had been. Kaguya smiled and turned as well, Kallen walking off with her.

"So now what do we do? Just sit and play the waiting game?" Kallen asked softly with an annoyed look on her face. Kaguya smiled lightly and chuckled. They were keeping up the guise of servant and master quite well; Kaguya was carrying a few large bags that looked like they were filled with fancy new clothes while Kallen stayed a few steps ahead of her to represent distance of class.

"We won't have to. I can completely assure you that he'll show up there tonight and talk to us," She said cheerfully. Kallen blinked and glanced back at her discretely.

"How can you be so sure?" She asked sternly. Kallen didn't want her chance to repent to Lelouch for abandoning him ruined because Kaguya thought she knew Suzaku well enough to state things. "How do you know he'll show up there tonight? We don't have time for games with him."

"Suzaku has always been the most curious member of our family; he would get himself in to all kinds of trouble when we were children because he felt like poking his head in here and there. There was also this fire in his eyes, this little glint; he knows that his only answers are going to come through meeting up with us," She mused happily with a little giggle. Kallen blinked a few times in surprise. "That glint… He knows who Zero is behind the mask and Zero must be a very important person to him. I'm not sure who since we were separated about a year after the takeover and don't know where he went, but I'm certain about them being important to him."

"Wait… You know what that glint was representing?" Kallen asked, eyes wide and completely stunned by this. Kaguya paused and flashed her a little grin.

"He used to look at that Britannian kid that lived on the estate like that," She said cheerfully. She then paused and looked thoughtful. "I think his name was… Oh, uh… It was Lelouch! Lelouch vi Britannia! I'd never be able to forget such a pretty and pompous boy like him; though I do have a thing for men with loads of confidence, if you couldn't tell. He didn't like him all that much at first but once he saw the fire in that kid's eyes he became the apple of Suzaku's eye. Suzaku used to wake up crying at night after the Britannian's took over, asking where he and his sister were and if they were okay. I think that was why he decided to join the military; he was probably hoping that he could find them and protect them from harm."

Kallen nodded and looked down. How could Suzaku be so infatuated with Lelouch in yet turn him in? She swallowed hard and cleared her throat, not wanting to let her mind wander too far into the subject of what occurred that fateful day. "Let's head back to the inn and get ourselves some lunch. Maybe we can play with that little Lindo kid. Plus, I think Cici and I need to talk to you about who Zero is, so you won't be too confused when we talk to Suzaku," She suggested calmly. Kaguya giggled and hummed happily in approval.

…

Suzaku ended up spending most of the day training. He assumed Lelouch either got bored of squawking his little lungs out or was too tuckered out from getting jostled around because he was quiet pretty much the rest of the day. Suzaku waited until ten o'clock and then he slipped out of his room, carrying Lelouch outside of his carrier in his arms. "Let's get you something to eat, okay?" He asked softly. Lelouch responded with a quiet mew and nuzzling into Suzaku's shoulder quietly. He smiled a bit and tried to ignore how awkward it was for Lelouch to be affectionate. Sure, Lelouch had his moments before where he wanted nothing more than to lay in Suzaku's arms and relax, but he would always make up so reason and bluff his way out of being affectionate ("I'm not doing this just because I want to, you know; it's very cold in here and I don't want to go hunt down a blanket, is all," He would snap sternly, looking at Suzaku pointedly before resting his head back down on the others chest) but that was just who Lelouch was.

But this version of Lelouch had no need to discriminate or sense that he should excuse his actions (not that he could, since he couldn't really speak). He didn't remember his life as Lelouch vi Britannia, exiled prince and hostage of Japan, or as Lelouch Lamperogue, a young Britannian school boy moonlighting as the terrorist Zero in hopes of crushing the very family and nation that had so eagerly cast him and his precious younger sister aside like garbage. This Lelouch probably didn't even recognize Lelouch as his name; he only seemed to understand that Suzaku was someone safe and the rest of the world was bad. Suzaku briefly wondered what it had felt like for Lelouch, waking up in an unfamiliar place with no recollection of how he'd gotten there or who he was. When the sense of horror the other undoubtedly felt washed over him as well he paused in his strides to the kitchen and looked down at the content cat boy in his arms.

"I think I'm going to make you something with fish; how does that sound?" He asked softly, trying to shy aware from the thoughts and images flooding his mind. The other looked up, ears twitching a bit at the sound of the other's voice, before he meowed and flopped back against him. Suzaku forced himself to walk, as if that would help him leave those thoughts behind him.

Had Lelouch cried, or screamed and pleaded for someone to explain things to him when he awoke? Had his shift from human to hybrid been painful? _'Why don't you just ask your little scientist friend?'_ The brunette felt his heart stop in his steps, as did his heart, when he swore he heard Lelouch's voice say something to him in a rather condescending tone of voice. He looked around a few times before shifting his attention to the purring mass pressed against him. Amethyst spheres shifted upward toward him, questioningly, and his ears twitched again. "Mew." He chirped softly, little mouth remaining open a second longer than necessary for the sound to get out. It was surprisingly adorable.

"I guess I'm just losing my mind because of what happened to you," He mumbled with a small sigh. The other remained where he was, nuzzling him, and purring away. Suzaku poked his head around the corner that led into the kitchen, making sure that no one else was there, before walking in. He put Lelouch down on a counter next to the large over and pulled out a frying pan. While he had that heating up, he went through the fridge and pulled out a cleaned fish. He pulled out a cutting board, set it atop, and set a knife down next to it. He spotted Lelouch reaching one paw toward the sizzling pan and clapped his hands loudly.

In response to the unexpected movement, Lelouch jolted away from the pan on his back feet and one front, swatting at the pan with his other front paw and hissing vehemently. Suzaku had to bite to inside of his cheek to keep from giggling at just how adorable the other looked, especially since the bandage on his cheek made it hard for that corner of his mouth to twitch up the way it needed to in order to hiss properly. Lelouch, in Suzaku's opinion, had always looked irresistibly cute when enraged; most likely why he went out of his way to assure he caused that reaction out of his dear someone.

"You're such a silly little thing, aren't you?" He asked before getting to work on the fish. He began cutting it into thin strips; he was silently grateful that whoever had bought the fish had cleaned it and removed the spine (as well as the head, since having dead fish eyes watching him would have made Suzaku feel rather awkward) which made his task easier. Suzaku had never actually fried fish in a pan, and was a master at doing it over an open flame, but he figured it shouldn't be too hard. He got a plate down to put the prepared fish on so that he and Lelouch could munch on them at their leisure. He put the first few piece in and both he and the ebony haired male jumped back when they sizzled and hissed loudly.

As the smell of fish began to waft around them Lelouch's patience began to wane. He rolled over on his back and mewed loudly, head cocked to one side and little limbs flailing in the air. His tail swished from here to there in slow, graceful strokes. Suzaku chuckled at this and reached over, gently stroking his fingers along the other's good cheek. He was answered by a low, rumbling purr and slitted eyes. After the first few pieces were done, Suzaku slipped them on to the plate and set the next few in the pan. He set the plate on the other side of the stove top and watched as Lelouch, impatient as he was, rolled back onto his four feet and paced anxiously, looking across the space at the cooling meat. Suzaku waited until every last piece was cooked and cooled well enough to eat to begin splitting them up. He was lucky because the fish had been fat and given them twenty strips; easily divided into ten between the pair. He handed Lelouch his first piece and watched as the other scarfed it down without any of the grace he once had. Suzaku chuckled and nibbled his own, silently wishing that at least a little of the old Lelouch was still there (aside from the physical aspects that were still there, of course).

He also found himself briefly wondering about what Kaguya had mentioned that day. Who could Suzaku possibly need to see? He and Tohdoh had met many times on the battlefield so it couldn't be him. He had no family members aside from Kaguya left so it couldn't be any of them. Zero (or, rather, Lelouch) was here so it couldn't be him. Perhaps who she spoke of was the mysterious green haired woman who had given Lelouch that accursed power in the first place? They had technically met twice but he had never really had words with her. She seemed to be the most logical option his mind could muster up for the time being and decided to roll with it.

But if Cici did wish to speak to him, what would be the reason? Lelouch would be one, of course, but what else could she want to discuss? V2 had only explained a little bit to Suzaku; the power called Geass was the reason Lelouch had risen to power, he had been given it by the girl in what was supposed to be a poison bomb, and Lelouch had used it on Suzaku to give him the command to live. He wondered briefly if the command had not only been issued in that moment of panic, but also because Lelouch didn't want Suzaku to get himself killed. He then realized it was entirely possible and tried not to dwell on it any longer. Seeing that he and Lelouch had polished off the fish, he put the used utensils in the sink, running warm water over them to making things a little easier for whoever got stuck cleaning them in the morning.

"When we get back to the room I guess I should work on those work pages Milly sent me. I do owe her for helping me keep up with my education and going to all that trouble for me, after all," He said aloud as he picked Lelouch up and headed out. He had sent a letter to Milly shortly after arriving, asking her if she could send him books and the assignments for his grade for the rest of the semester so that, once his training was over, he would be caught up with the rest of Ashford; he had refrained from asking if she remembered the Lamperogue siblings, knowing well that the answer would be no and not wanting to depress himself any further.

Lelouch perked up a few feet from their room, tail stopping its motion and head cocking toward the door at the end of the hall on the opposite side of Suzaku's. The other perked up, emerald spheres curious, and saw a slim crack of light coming out from the side of the door, implying that it was slightly opened. "Huh… That's Anya's room, I think. I wonder what she's doing up so late?" He mumbled softly, keeping his voice low. Lelouch hopped out of his arms and darting over, causing Suzaku to flinch and bite back a few swears. _'Damnit, Lelouch, you are such a trouble maker!'_ He thought bitterly as he darted over, snatching the other up. He did, however, freeze there when he saw something through the small slit in the door.

Inside was something that was not meant to be witnessed by anyone; Suzaku especially. The Emperor, Charles zi Britannia, and Anya Alstreim, Knight of Six, appeared to be doing (since Suzaku's brain could not force itself to supply any other explanation) the thing deemed as "it". He stumbled back in horror, seeing a girl at the tender age of fifteen, committing such an act with someone who had children in their late twenties and early thirties, to be straddling said man with nothing covering their figures. He turned and ran away, holding Lelouch as close as possible, and rushed behind his own door, shutting it as quickly and quietly as possible.

Anya perked up and paused in her actions, slipping away from the older man and walking toward the door. She poked her head out, hiding behind the door, and just barely spotted Suzaku's door shut. She smirked a bit to herself. _'Not as I had planned but I will accept it. I just hope that Rin does not resent me for scarring her little boy,'_ She thought before shutting the door all the way and turning back to her previous task.

Suzaku dropped Lelouch the second he reached his room, darting to his bathroom and barely making it in time. He heaved violently, panting between bouts and trying to regather his wits. Whenever he tried, however, the visuals returns and then he was vomiting again. He flushed and stood, heading over to the bathroom mirror and clenching to the sink with trembling hands. "This… That… That is just completely… It isn't right," He uttered in a shaky tone.

'_Do you expect any better from a country as warped as this?'_ The little cat thought to himself, eyes narrowing to dangerous slits. Though Suzaku had missed it, Lelouch and Anya had made eye contact and things had come back to him; there had been a Geass symbol in one of those garnet tinted orbs and it had triggered his mind back to where it was moments before Charles had basically erased Lelouch from existence. His tail swayed behind him slowly, flicking as sternly as a whip. _'I will have to keep up this disguise of idiotic little house pet until I find the right moment. And when I find that chance, Suzaku Kururugi, I will leave any feelings I once harbored for you behind and take you down.'_ He thought scornfully before hopping gracefully on to the other's bed and lying on top of the feather-filled pillows. He was going to need as much rest as he could get if he aimed to continue playing lovable pet.

End

Just want to say a few things real fast: first, you all should have seen the return of Rin and Lindo coming. Also, to add to this, I was re-watching the series with a friend a while back and realized something; Suzaku **is not** an only child! When they're interrogating him after being arrested for killing Clovis, Jeremiah says, "Eldest child of the late Prime Minister Kururugi." Therefore, I believe that he has at least one younger sibling that is not shown in the series due to the fact they also state "his family completely cut him off after he decided to become an Honorary Britannian." If you want to double check, re-watch episode four. Another little tid bit is that I'm shaking things up. I don't really like the ending of R2 (since I am notorious for loving happy endings and clearly have a bit of a preference for Lelouch) so I'll be changing a few other things that occur in R2; I'll keep certain aspects but I'm going to do it a way that I think will be clever, original, and logical at the same time. I've also decided to extend the fic a little bit; I ended up adding much more to the plot than originally planned so I have to extend it so I don't over load chapters four and five. And, lastly, due to my decision to lengthen it, I'll be adding little bonus stories at the end of some chapters for your amusement. They'll basically be stories I couldn't really fit in to the plot of the chapter but wanted to include somehow. And, finally, I shall get to the questions from last chapter!

To Skiperella and Magician Girl Mirani (since you're questions were very similar): Pertaining to SuzaLulu lemons and the concept of Lelouch having the ears and tails for a little while longer, you two actually have a say in that. So may I suggest you check out the newest notice on my profile and claim your prizes? ;D


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. I do own the plot. All songs used belong to their respective artists.

_I'm safe.  
Up high.  
Nothing can touch me,  
But why do I feel this party's over? – __Sober_ by Pink

Chapter Four

Suzaku sighed as he slipped out of the castle, carrying Lelouch in his little kennel, as he headed to the address Kaguya and Kallen had given him the day before. It was almost nine and Suzaku had said he was going to go sight-seeing since he had arrived. He had convinced Gino and Anya to stay behind by saying that he just wanted to go for a brief walk around the area, get used to the manors and streets near the castle. He was more than gratefully they'd believed him; he hadn't been able to meet Anya's eye all day and been fighting off nausea all day.

"I guess I'm overreacting but… I don't know. I just wasn't expecting to see that, you know, Lelouch?" He asked curiously. So far, Lelouch had been rather quiet all day, only fussing when Suzaku had put him in his kennel and two separate incidents where Lelouch had broken something and basically killed something else. "Hmm. Is something wrong, little guy?" He asked worriedly.

'_Yes, in fact, something is wrong,'_ Lelouch thought bitterly as he lay in his kennel, _'and it has everything to do with my current predicament. I've been turned into a scientific abortion. Anyone would be annoyed if part of them dictated a move to overthrow the biggest political powerhouse in the world while the other said that chasing a bloody piece of string would be much more amusing!'_ He had been trying too hard to fight the urges of the cat part of him but it was hard. Earlier, sitting on Suzaku's desk, he saw a black feather pen. He remembered he'd given it to Suzaku shortly after they were reunited at Ashford because the other had admired. But suddenly his arm moved on its own and his paw began batting at it playfully, crouching low and continuing to dish out blows. He rolled over on to his back, still swatting, and ended up knocking the entire glass mug full of writing utensils over the edge. It shattered on the ground in pieces and he peeked over the edge, just watching it for a moment, before his wits returned. He stayed quiet and only mewled his appreciation when Suzaku, who had been taking a shower, stepped in the mess and got a few cuts on his feet.

"Maybe that fish I feed you last night wasn't ready when I fed it to you," Suzaku thought aloud, trying to think of any reason for the shift in behavior. He didn't want Lelouch to get sick because of his incompetence.

'_Your brain clearly wasn't ready when your mother gave birth to you but you seem to manage well enough without the missing half,'_ Lelouch thought snidely, growling softly in his throat. He was really beginning to think that by the time this whole experience was over he'd have developed a terrible fear of the dark and a bad case of claustrophobia. He spent so much time in this damn kennel was pretty sure he had gotten the exact measurements figured out by mere feel alone.

"Well, maybe it wasn't the fish… You haven't thrown up at all and it didn't seem like you had diarrhea when you went to the bathroom earlier," Suzaku said with a sigh, still musing over why the feline boy could be feeling so disgruntled. Though Lelouch had no memories (as far as Suzaku knew, anyway) and the brain of a cat, Lloyd had made sure a few things remained in his head; one was how to use a toilet by himself. Suzaku always left the bathroom door open when Lelouch went in just in case he had some kind of trouble but he seemed fine on his own.

'_If my stomach had been upset and I had the urge to do either of those things I would have left the remains in your shoes or bed,'_ Lelouch thought with a small smirk of pride. That was one attribute of his cat instincts that Lelouch could completely agree with; leaving his presents in random places for the young knight to clean up when he finally stumbled upon them. Lelouch considered these little gestures could be little stepping stones toward what would ultimately be his revenge of epic proportions. What exactly did he plan to do? He was still a little shaky on the concept himself; whether he liked it or not, he loved Suzaku in a way so deep it may as well be a poison that had replaced the blood in his veins, so he couldn't kill him. The fact he'd already used his Geass on the other boy with the command to live was another hindrance since it meant he could not use his power and any physical blow would be easily diverted because of the command and superior physical prowess of Suzaku.

Suzaku blinked and paused as he reached his destination, cheeks flushing as he realized what it was. "My God… They wanted to meet me at a whore house?" He yelped frantically, looking at the paper with the address and then back at the building a few times. Meanwhile, Lelouch was laughing on the inside at the other's distress.

'_Is he serious? Oh Kallen, Kaguya, I knew I could count on you to avenge Zero!'_ He laughed manically inside, his little body shivering since he could not physically release the noise. A jolt of pain shook through his body and he released a loud, pained cry. _'Damnit! Despite my mostly human figure it appears I am limited in movement to whatever a cat can do; and laughing is not on the list.'_ He thought as he lay down, mewling pathetically as the pain began to subside.

"I knew your stomach was upset! Well, let's see if we can't hurry this up," Suzaku mumbled before heading over and walking in through the doors. He was stunned briefly by the strong scent of alcohol, sex and cigar smoke but quickly shook it off and looked around for the girls that had summoned him here. A petite looking woman with black hair and blue eyes, clad in an all pink kimono with leaves decorated on it in various hues of green, walked over and smiled at him sweetly.

"May I help you, sir?" She asked before blinking and leaning in a little closer, looking at him with a critical eye. He leaned back on to his heels in hopes of putting more distance between them. "You look very much like Lady Kururugi." She commented. He felt his heart jerk lightly at the mention of his name but forced a smile he hoped wasn't too strained on to his face.

"I've been told I look like my mother by many people, actually," He said gently. The woman suddenly gasped and staggered back, shock in her eyes. There was something else but he wasn't too sure if it was fear or disgust, given she had clearly realized who he was.

"You're Suzaku Kururugi, aren't you?" She exclaimed loudly. Other girls perked up and looked over, a few who were not with men darting over to surround him.

"Oh my God, he has to be! He looks just like Lady Kururugi!" One girl squealed eagerly.

"Plus he's the only Eleven who would dare walk around Pendragon, the Britannian capital, in such fine clothes!" Another chimed in.

"You really are Suzaku Kururugi, who caught Zero and became Knight of Seven! How wonderful!" A third girl joined in excitedly.

"You're simply amazing, an inspiration to all Honorary Britannians! What type of women do you like?" A fourth girl, who somehow ended up latched to his left arm (since the right was holding Lelouch in his kennel) asked in a sensual tone. She had lightly curled black hair and bright brown eyes, her breasts practically popping out of her kimono and on to Suzaku's arm.

During this commotion, Lelouch had taken up to hissing and making other unpleasant noises. _'Back off, bitches! I have first dibs on that piece of one-hundered percent authentic Asian man-meat!'_ He declared wrathfully on the head. Was he made at Suzaku for everything that had happened? Oh, yes, he was furious; even the devil would be afraid at the amount of rage bubbling in Lelouch little gut. But was Suzaku still Lelouch's property (though it was only in the eyes of the spoiled ex-prince) to do with as he saw fit? That deserved an even bigger and more enraged yes; Lelouch had claimed that boy as his nearly eight years ago and wasn't about to lose his spot as Suzaku's first to a bunch of cheap floozies who wanted a story to tell.

"Is that a kitty cat you have in there?" The first girl asked, looking down toward the kennel. They all stopped and blinked, looking at him with weirded out expressions. "Uh… Why do you have a cat with you?"

'_I'm his mobile pussy; you know, so he can get you sluts to back the fuck off,'_ Lelouch thought, his tone casual and airy. He really hated the fact he couldn't see any of these girls; he would like to be able to reassure himself that he really did have nothing to fear.

"Ladies, what have I said about making faces in response to a man with a fetish?" A voice asked sternly, snapping Suzaku from trying to find a way to explain Lelouch to these strangers. How many times had that voice barked at him for misbehaving? Or soothed him after a terrible nightmare? Or cheered him on when he was participating in a junior league kendo tournament? His eyes widened when he saw his mother, wearing a hakama of white and red with a sword close at hand.

"We're sorry, Lady Kururugi," They all said in unison, bowing before darting off to their previous places. Suzaku stood there, just staring up at his mother, while she looked him up and down.

"You look well," She commented calmly, the stern look still on her face. Suzaku swallowed hard and nodded, a thickness developing in his throat upon sight of his mother. Was he hallucinating? No, those girls had clearly seen her as well. But his mother was supposed to be dead; Tohdoh-Sensei had told him so! "Now come along. We have much to discuss and very little time to do so." She added, turning and heading back up the stairs. He followed quickly, jostling Lelouch and ignoring the hiss he reserved as a chiding.

She paused in front of a door and opened it, walking in. Suzaku was greeted by Kallen, Kaguya, Cici and a young boy he didn't recognize. The boy looked just like he had as a child but he couldn't think of a name for the boy. He was being held by Kaguya, who was coddling and giggling over him, with a bemused look on his face. "Ah, Suzaku! You're here!" The inky haired girl said happily, turning away from the young look-alike briefly. She then leaned down and pressed her cheek to the young boy's with a giggle. "Isn't he adorable, Suzaku? He looks just like his big brother!"

'_My little sister's cuter than your little brother,'_ Lelouch thought with a huff as he let himself flop back down on his belly against the kennel. Something told him it was going to be a very long discussion and it would be a while before he'd be getting to stretch his legs.

"Wait… What?" Suzaku sputtered indignantly, looking from his cousin to his mother. She was setting her sword down and sitting at the circular table. Though Suzaku didn't know it., the table had been switched out only moments before he arrived. She looked at him calmly.

"I was pregnant when the war broke out. Barely, though, so that's why you didn't know; I wasn't visibly showing," She explained casually. She then chuckled lightly. "But he is indeed your little brother, Suzaku. His name is Lindo."

"Yes?" The little boy chimed in, looking over at his mother over his cousin's arms. He blinked a bit before squirming so that he could better see his mother. "You said my name. Did I do something bad?" He asked worriedly. Rin merely chuckled and shook her head.

"No, you did not. Now why don't you take the secret door and go get yourself something to eat?" She asked gently, reaching over the table and ruffling his hair lightly. He nodded, slipped away from Kaguya, and headed out quietly. After he was gone Rin turned her gentle smile to her older son. "There was a mob out to see me executed shortly after the takeover. They thought I had killed your father due to my relationship with a Britannian woman. The only way to assure you would be safe was to leave you in Tohdoh's care; I was never far away, though. I was always there when you needed a little help, whether you were aware of it or not."

"So it was all my fault again," Suzaku mumbled, shifting his attention downward. Rin growled, picked up her sheathed sword, and delivered a very unkind blow to his head. A large pulsing red bump developed on the back of his head. "What was that for?" He cried out, one hand grabbing the wound as he looked up at his mother.

"Suzaku, this is not your fault! The one at blame for all of this is that contemptible bastard V2!" She snapped, her tone laced in venom. Suzaku blinked a few times, confusion on his face.

"What do you mean? How is this V2's fault?" He asked gently, his hand still rubbing his now aching head. Rin let out a loud huffing noise and crossed her arms over her chest.

"He ruined the treaty of peace that had been decided on between Britannia and Japan," She said. Kallen, Kaguya and Suzaku all stared at her with wide eyes, begging her to continue her explanation. "You see, at my suggestion your father and the Emperor reached an agreement; if Japan decided who would carry on as Emperor after Charles and Japanese citizen was made the Knight of One, we would agree to help Britannia take down the remaining countries on the map that resisted."

"And what did you decide after that?" Kallen asked, completely stunned and intrigued by this news. To think they'd had a treaty of peace that was soiled by the actions of one person? She wanted to know if the choice of who was to succeed was part of the reason.

"We decided on the nineteenth heir to the throne, Prince Lelouch vi Britannia, as the one to succeed Charles," She said calmly.

"What?" Kallen and Suzaku both declared, slamming their hands on the table before standing up. Kaguya gasped quietly.

'_What the… But I was exiled! I tossed my claim to the throne aside so why would they pick me?'_ Lelouch thought in sheer shock. He had never been told of any of this in his whole life; before or after his arrival in Japan.

"Sit down and let her finish," Cici said flatly, glaring at the two standing youths. They glared back but returned to their seats. "If you can keep your heads, you'll understand why I brought each of you here to hear what Rin has to say. Now, you may continue, Rin." She said, dipping her head lightly at her. The other woman nodded as well.

"Empress Marianna, if you didn't know, was born in to the life of a peasant. Due to this, she and I had known each other for quite a few years. She and I fought in the same yanki crew throughout high school until Marianna decided to return to her homeland and serve her country. After that, I cleaned up my act and became the respectable daughter I was always expected to be," She continued gently. She chuckled darkly and sipped from the cup of tea she had in front of her. "Those really were the best days of my life; breaking bones, pulling hair and kicking ass with my best friend. Ah, good times, good times. Anyway, as I was explaining, because of the connection between Marianne and I we saw it fit that her son would be raised with respect toward foreign cultures. And considering little Lelouch was a boy genius, we were even more thrilled; he would be a genius commander as well as a great man for discussing peace treaties."

"Then why didn't it happen?" Kallen asked. A piercing glare was sent her way by the amber eyed woman seated beside their story-teller. She flinched and blushed a bit. "Uh, sorry to interrupt…"

"It's quite alright," Rin said calmly. She set her cup back down and sighed lightly. "Charles has an older brother who is an immortal, much like Cici here. Now, V2 has always been filled with bitterness toward the world and wants nothing more than to see it go up in flames. This treaty between Japan and Britannia, as well as the decision to have Prince Lelouch succeed Charles, could mean that he would no longer have a puppet to control in the way he wanted. Though Prince Lelouch was not rather skilled with physical ability, he was sharp as they come and would certainly not be turned into anyone's puppet. That much was clear, even when he was a toddler."

'_Damn straight,'_ Lelouch thought with a little snort. Suzaku seemed to hear this noise and glanced downward before turning his attention back to his mother.

"So V2 did the only thing he could think to do; have Empress Marianne assassinated and make it look like the Japanese were at fault. The treaty was nullified shortly after that, and then Prince Lelouch mouthed off to his father and was sent with his sister to Japan. Because they were the children of a dear friend, I convinced your father to let us take them in. And most of the rest of the story, you all know," Rin said calmly. She then nodded toward Cici.

"What you don't realize, however, is that Marianne is not really dead," She said. She was met by wide eyed stares and paled faces. "You see, I gifted both Rin and Marianne with Geass after meeting them both, though there were years separating the incidents." All eyes shifted toward Rin, who grinned impishly and rubbed the back of her head.

"I have the Geass to move objects at will. Telekinesis, if you will. I rarely use it nowadays, however, because it causes me to lose memories as I use it. I can't remember my childhood until the age of eight from using it too frivolously," She explained calmly.

"Marianne's Geass was the ability to transfer her soul to a different body. Right before she died, Marianne thrust her soul into the body of a young orphan girl she had taken in with the plans to build into Lelouch's future bride. That girl's name is Anya Alstreim," Cici stated calmly. The mention of the name made Suzaku gag, though he kept the bile in the back of his throat.

'_Sorry, Mother, but I don't really have a taste for women,'_ Lelouch thought sourly. He already knew his mother was alive and well; he had realized that last night when he'd made brief eye contact with her. What really bothered him, however, was having to realize he'd basically just seen his parents having sex… Not a pleasant mental image for any teenager.

"We've been planning to take out V2 and Charles for years. Because of that, Marianne revealed herself to Charles as Anya and made it into the Knights of Round. Now she's playing the role of supportive wife and knight to keep him from seeing it when we finally decide to come out and attack," Cici explained calmly. She then glared at Suzaku. "That was why I was watching after Lelouch and why I gave him Geass. It didn't end the way I thought it would but now we just need to track him down and give him back his memories, since I'm almost certain Charles used his Geass on him. So, do you know where he is?" She asked bluntly.

Suzaku swallowed hard and cleared his throat. "Well, actually, I do know where Lelouch is. But I don't think you guys are gonna be too happy to see him," He mumbled nervously.

"What are you talking about? We need him to overthrow Britannia! If he's not dead than we'll be fine with whatever happened to him!" Kallen snapped angrily. Suzaku flinched again and looked off to the side, nervousness building up even more into his stomach. She said that now…

"I'd just like to state right now that I didn't know that they were going to do what they did to him. If I had, I wouldn't have handed him over like I did," He said calmly. Kaguya pouted at him while Kallen glared even more severely. Cici, however, was looking completely calm.

"Suzaku, stop stalling! Now where's Lelouch?" Kallen hissed furiously. He sighed and nodded, picking the kennel up and setting it on the table. "Suzaku, we asked for Lelouch! Not Arthur!"

"Just hold on!" Suzaku growled, turning the kennel so that the door was facing him. He pushed down and pushed it open, smiling weakly at Lelouch. The other blinked lazily and yawned, letting out a croaky sounding meow. Suzaku reached in and pulled him out carefully, holding him to his chest. Lelouch latched on to his shirt immediately, despite the fact one of Suzaku's arms was cradling his rear end and legs against it. "So… Um, yeah… Here he is." He laughed nervously.

After a moment of silence, complete Hell broke loose.

Lelouch ended up ducking under the table, hissing and spitting. _'Dear God these people are insane!'_ He declared in his head, tail fluffing out and ears pretty much flat against his skull, hidden because his ears and hair were the same black hue.

Kallen had practically jumped over the table while launching herself at Suzaku. When she went to grab him, Lelouch had slipped under the table. "What the hell have you done to him?" She shrieked angrily, shaking the other Japanese individual severely.

Kaguya, on the other hand, was trying to coax Lelouch out from under the table. "Come on out, little Zero! Don't be scared; you're fiancé will take good care of you!" She kept singing happily, her hand a few inches from the hissing hybrid. Rin and Cici had settled for silently sipping their tea and watching the others actions. The door creaked open and Lindo stood there, baffled for a moment, until all eyes turned on him. Tears were rimming his eyes.

"I'm so confused!" He whimpered in a shaky voice.

…

Suzaku sighed lightly as he walked home, carrying the kennel. "We'll head back to Japan and get the Black Knights up to date on what's going on. We'll also see about getting Lelouch back to normal; Rakshata should be able to figure something out," Cici had explained as she pulled out a needle from her bag. Suzaku raised an eyebrow at her, wondering why she was randomly carrying a needle on her person. "I like to be prepared."

'_No wonder she spent most of her time with Lelouch,'_ He thought to himself while she fought to get the little cat boy to sit still and let her take the sample she needed. Why was he fighting? Well, Lelouch let the cat instinct take over; he owed Cici some grief after the large amount she had racked up on that damned Pizza Hut tab of hers. "Here, I've got it." Suzaku sighed, balancing Lelouch up against his chest with one arm and holding the other toward her. He kissed the top of Lelouch's head after he let out a loud yowl of pain when the needle broke his skin. "I know this sucks but it'll help you get back to normal."

'_It damn well better help me get back to normal. I won't be able to kick your ass as a two foot tall cat-boy; you could just boot me into the air like a football,'_ He thought bitterly as he watched the syringe fill up with his blood. He whimpered and meowed loudly, though he wished he didn't. 'I feel so weak like this; my emotions are too hard to rein in with the cat genetics inside of me.' He sighed tiredly, flopping back against Suzaku after they put a little bandage over his puncture wound.

"But if Suzaku's going to help us how is he supposed to get to us? And what about the Lancelot? That thing could definitely help us fight of Britannia," Kallen pointed out calmly as Cici put a plastic case over the tip of the needle and Suzaku lightly stroked Lelouch's back, helping him relax and dose off.

"Lloyd said he was working on upgrading the system and adding some wings so that I can fight in the air. He should be done soon; I'll ask him about it tomorrow and then see if I can take for a test run. Instead I'll just head to Japan and turn off the tracker," He explained calmly. He then blinked a few times and smiled a bit. "I may be able to get another Knight of Round to join me too."

"Who?" Kaguya asked interestedly.

"Gino Weinberg, Knight of Three," Suzaku stated. He glanced over at Lelouch and gave a weak smile. "He said that when they were younger he and Lelouch were friends. Maybe if I tell him what's going he'll agree to help us. His knightmare, the Tristan, can shift between being a knightmare to a jet so he'll have no problem getting to Japan, should he agree to go with us."

"And what will you do if he doesn't agree to help?" Kallen asked flatly, glaring at him. He met her look.

"I don't think I'll need to worry about that. If I let him see what happened to Lelouch he'll agree; he seems like the type of person to find it really wrong. And if he doesn't want to help us than I'll handle it my way," He said calmly. He reached down and stroked Lelouch's uninjured cheek lightly. "I just want Lelouch to be safe."

"We'll head out in the morning then," Rin said, gently tucking Lindo in to bed. He had been completely baffled when he returned and it caused him to weep. After Rin had settled him back down he had fallen asleep. She informed them that he was a rather deep sleeper so they'd be fine to talk. "I have a friend who gets along just as well with the girls who is just as intimidating; she'll take over for me."

"So we expect you to catch up with us within the next two or three days, Suzaku," Cici stated to him sternly. He nodded calmly. "When you get close enough to Japan to receive radio signals turn your communicator back on and we'll have Kallen signal for you with the Guren from our base. Try to make sure you show up at night; less people will notice a giant flying knightmare in the dark of the night. And if you don't show up in three days we'll assume you've betrayed and you'll be our enemy; whether you head to Japan to help or not." Her tone was stern and her eyes were narrowed to dangerous slits.

"I understand," He said calmly. He got Lelouch situated in his kennel, stunned to see that the other had fallen asleep while pressed against the young Japanese man. He had then headed out, dreading the thought of how things would go with Gino.

Lelouch had slept with a smug grin on his lips, knowing that he had basically stolen one of his father's best knights, and was now gunning for a second one.

_But God does it feel so good,  
Cause I got him where I want him now. – __Misery Business_ by Paramore

…

Suzaku had expected Gino's reaction to the truth to be bad; he hadn't expected to get decked in the face, though. He groaned and rubbed his cheek as the blonde hovered over him, eyes clenched shut in rage and fists trembling. "So then… Anya's basically possessed? And Lelouch was never dead at all?" He snapped. Suzaku pushed himself up on to his feet, ignoring the task of blood and the feel of liquid trailing toward his chin.

"I guess that's one way to explain it," He said with a small sigh. He wiped his mouth with his wrist, fighting back a wince, and wasn't surprised when it came back red. He dropped it back to his side. "So where do you stand?"

"I'll help you. But only to help Anya get free of the spirit possessing her and because Lelouch and I were close," He said with a small sigh, flopping down on the edge of his bed. He set his head in his hands. "I knew that the politics of Britannia were a little sketchy but I never thought…" He trailed in a tired tone of voice. Suzaku realized that he'd ever seen Gino as anything other than perky and wondered if the other was tuckered out from letting down his front.

"None of us did, really. So tomorrow night we'll head out bright and early, okay?" He asked delicately. Suzaku didn't want to derail Gino any further but he also didn't want Gino's inability to cope getting in the way of their plan. He wanted to get Lelouch back to normal and help him take his rightful place as Emperor as soon as possible.

"Yeah. I'll get some things ready tonight," He said softly. Suzaku nodded and headed to the door, then paused when he heard the other chuckle. He turned and found Gino grinning like he normally did. "It's kind of exciting for me, you know? I've never gone against what my parents planned for me before. It's like going on an adventure or something!"

"Yeah, it kind of is, isn't it?" He asked with a small smile. Suzaku was a little annoyed that Gino was responding this way, almost turning the plans to rebel into a game for him, but decided to let it go. If this was Gino's way to cope he wasn't going to take it away from him.

As he headed back to his room and looked at the two lying cats on his bed, Arthur lightly curled by Lelouch's head and licking his ears affectionately while the darker one slept, Suzaku himself was wondering how he was going to sleep with his fear of plans going awry and concern for Lelouch's safety weighing heavily on his mind.

End

Bonus Story: Bath Time for Lulu

The only reason he could think of for this terrible punishment was the fact that Lelouch had pretended to be asleep when Suzaku left for his training just because he didn't want to get stuffed in that damned kennel again. He then stretched out on the bed looking for something to do. He glanced over and noted a new plant in a plastic pot resting on Suzaku's desk. It had only been there a few days (a gift from one of the other Knights of Round, is memory served) and Lelouch's cat-like instinct dictated that since Arthur (who was much lazier than he seemed, given how often he would attack the young Japanese pilot) wouldn't be going after the common house plant any time soon. So Lelouch's cat-like side got the better of him and decided that he would be the one to kill the accursed plant. Why did Kitty Lulu feel the need to destroy the plant? He wasn't too sure but there was a principle of some sort behind it.

He hopped on to the desk chair and then on to desk, his sights set on the photosynthesizing creature a few feet away. He walked over and began batting at the little leaves that decorated the top. As he swatted at it, some part of Lelouch realized that it was a banzai tree. This information, however, was decidedly not interesting enough to save the plant from his assault so he continued, nudging it closer and closer to the edge. Much like the pencil mug earlier, the tree fell down with a dull thud and Lelouch looked down at it over the ledge. His tail flicked from here and there before he inched a little closer and jumped off. After a moment of pondering, he decided that he wanted to play in the dirt and with the tree still so he set to making quite the beautiful mess on the floor.

Lelouch was so lost in his playing that he didn't realize how much time had passed and that Suzaku was opening the door, hoping to walk in to a clean room he could relax in until they left to figure out what Kaguya and Kallen had wanted to meet up to discuss. Arthur perked up lightly, ears twitching, before he looked over at the other. "Hey, cut it out," He said evenly. Due to Lelouch's cat-like features, he was in tuned with the ability to communicate with Arthur. Their conversations mostly consisted of Arthur telling Lelouch to calm down and stop acting up.

Lelouch perked up, tree in mouth, just as the door opened and the curly topped brunette walked in. When he spotted the soil and leaf covered creature seated on the floor he paused, dropping the water bottle he'd been holding. _'Good thing you had the cap on or else you'd have another mess to clean up,'_ Lelouch mused to himself before he set the tree down and mewled softly.

"Oh, Lelouch, why did you have to do this?" He groaned lowly, smacking his forehead and letting his hand slide down. Lelouch mewled again, in a happy note, and walked over, rubbing his dirt-coated self against Suzaku's leg.

'_Because it's fun to piss you off and I can actually get away with it, of course,'_ He thought proudly after looking upon his handiwork again. There was a large circle of soil so dark it almost looked black next to the desk. It looked as if a jar of black ink had been knocked over and then scattered with white bits of ripped paper, since there were little white rocks in the soil. In the center laid the tree, its roots reaching out like many little arms trying to grab at anything for help. A few were bent from Lelouch's flurry of blows while almost all the leaves had been ripped off. The ones that remained had little holes in them from his teeth and claws.

Suzaku released a heavy sigh before leaving the room again and returning with a small hand-held vacuum. He knelt by the mess and set to work, noting how both Lelouch and Arthur hissed vehemently at the buzzing contraption, and afterward tossed the murdered tree into the garbage can in his room. He then looked back over at Lelouch and sighed. "You're so dirty. And you probably haven't had a bath in months," He said as he walked over, picking the small figure up.

'_Well, I'll give you that,'_ Lelouch thought bitterly. He remembered how the weeks in that cell had been terrible; the medicine that altered his body had made him violently ill and he'd lost weight from an inability to hold food or drink down, he had developed a terrible fever, and he had thought for a while that he was going to die from the terrible migraines. Because Lloyd was more interested in watching him, Lelouch hadn't really been given rights to use the shower or to change his clothes. Aside from three months ago, when his body had changed and he'd become pint-sized, and he'd been stuck in the small outfit he was currently wearing he hadn't had a change of attire_. 'I could stand to enjoy a bath and clean clothes, though I doubt you have anything that'll fit.'_

"Ugh! You smell terrible!" Suzaku yelped after giving Lelouch a little sniff. He growled in response and Suzaku headed over to his wardrobe, carrying Lelouch with one arm. "Look, I'm sorry to be so blunt but you need a bath." Suzaku should have seen what was going to happen after he said that world, considering he basically had two cats in his room.

Arthur let out a loud hiss and darted under the young knight's bed, the thoughts of water and bubbles extremely unpleasant in his mind. Lelouch's cat side had taken charge again and was squirming furiously, digging his claws into Suzaku's shoulders as he tried to climb over him. Suzaku struggled to get a hold of Lelouch and caught him just as the other was preparing to jump free by using his shoulder as a launch pad. _'Damnit all!'_ Lelouch thought angrily as Suzaku's hands held on to his sides.

"Nice try, Lelouch," He said calmly. He tucked the other under one of his arms and pulled a large white night shirt from his wardrobe. He then headed into his bathroom with Lelouch and shut the door calmly behind him. He set Lelouch down while setting the shirt on the counter and started to fill up the tub with warm water. "I'll have you clothes tossed in my hamper and have a maid take them for washing. Until then you'll just have to deal with that oversized shirt." He explained as he turned off the water, the tub filled well enough, and then snatched Lelouch up. As he tried to unzip the back the other struggled and squirmed frantically. "What is your problem? I know that cats don't like water but isn't there at least a little bit of your human side left that wants to get nice and clean?" He asked with a small growl, tightening his hold on the other again.

'_I don't want you touching all over me when I'm the size of a four year old and naked! Now let me go, you stupid pervert!'_ Lelouch hissed in his head. If he was in complete control he'd be blushing so severely he'd be the envy of any apples or tomatoes in all of Britannia. He and Suzaku had never even had a hardcore make-out session; no way was he going to let Suzaku touch his naked body, whether it was to clean it up of not!

Suzaku growled and grabbed Lelouch's wrists in one hand, hoisting them up into the air, and then undid the zipper. He release Lelouch's hands one at a time, getting that sleeve off, before he would quickly shove that hand back into his grasp. After that he pushed the white straight jacket down Lelouch's hips and was stunned to see that the other had been stuck in commando all this time. "Geez, did Lloyd just not want to have to buy you some underwear or something?" He asked aloud with a sigh, shaking his head. He didn't even want to let the thought that Lloyd had done things to the young Britannian plague his mind.

'_Stop staring you bloody sicko!'_ Lelouch hissed inside while his body struggled to get away again. He was answered by Suzaku keeping one hand on his wrists and the other wrapping around his waist as he stood, walking closer to the filled tub. He then set him in carefully, a rumbling growl coming from Lelouch despite the soothing warmth of the water.

"Isn't that better?" He asked gently, releasing Lelouch's wrists. He was relieved when the other let him limps drop into the water instead of trying to make a hasty retreat from the tub. He cupped some water in his hands and trickled it on Lelouch's head, wetting his hair and ears. A louder rumbling growl was his answer. "This is much better, isn't it?" He asked again.

'_Like having lemon juice squeezed over an uncovered wound that was recently stitched with thread made of pure salt,'_ Lelouch thought bitter. He didn't care that his analogy was an over exaggeration (as well as an impossibility) because it was how he felt. His pride was severely wounded over having to be taken care of by the very person that had put him in this situation. He fell silent, however, as Suzaku began to scrub in the shampoo. It smelt strongly like watermelon. _'Of course; you grew out of grape and moved on to watermelon. Learned that when you stayed over to watch movies on our third date.'_ He thought calmly.

Lelouch had always prided himself on being logical, clever and vengeful but he had spent a lot of his time (mostly while he was mutilating his innocent victim once called the banzai tree) of the day contemplating what he would do. He recognized that no matter what happened he could not kill Suzaku; he was a murderer, yes, but he hadn't wanted to kill Euphemia and he would be unable to kill Suzaku for multiple reasons. One reason was his current form; cats normally don't go around strangling their owners with their tails at night. And even if he got free of this shape he still had a few other problems. The next was the fact he'd given Suzaku the Geass order to live; as long as the Geass was cast on him he would be unable to allow himself to die. Another was that Lelouch didn't have any allies here; yes, Kaguya and Kallen had shown up to give Suzaku a summons notice but Kallen was one of the reasons things had ended up this way and he doubted that Kaguya would still be willing to help when she was told that Zero was actually the arrogant prince she'd met a few times as a child; Lelouch had not been fond of Suzaku's nosy cousin, to say the least. And the last reason, though Lelouch didn't want to admit that it was a reason, was simply that he loved Suzaku far too much to be his executioner. He was loathe to admit it but it was the truth and even now, as the other rinsed the shampoo out, he couldn't help but want to be near him. "Stupid prick," He said flatly. Though, in his current state, it came out sounding, to Suzaku the human, like a little "Mreow meow."

"You feel a lot better now, don't you? I knew a bath would be good for you," He mused before getting a bath sponge and set to cleaning Lelouch's little body. And again, Lelouch found himself scornful to admit that he did like getting pampered by the younger male. He tried his best to remain calm and relaxed, but poor Lelouch was a seventeen-year teenage boy trapped in the body of a four year old with a mind stuck between hostile takeover and equally hostile plant assassination.

Later that day, when Lloyd came by to read the first batch of reports Suzaku had written, loud cackles of laughter could be heard after a blushing Suzaku asked bashfully, "So… Does it make sense for him to get aroused when I give him a bath?"

End

Ah, Lelouch… What a wit you have and how I love to make you suffer for it. So this chapter is the first of the ones that will follow the plot. Next chapter will be filled with some action (since I'm no good at action) and a lot of Lelouch-Cici conversation. Why? Because I need to get some comic relief and their banter should do the trick. So now for the questions!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. I do own the plot. All songs used belong to their respective artists. Also, there is a line in the bonus chapter that comes from an anime; cookies to whoever can guess the anime and character~! The end of this chapter (just before the bonus chapter) was for Skiperella, one of my Beauty and the Beast prize winners. I hope you like it~!

_Slowly…Darling…Nobody means any more to me than you.  
If you're in…Baby then I'm in (Into this)…with you, always.  
Careful…close to the edge… (You're scaring me)  
Fall in to my arms… (Away with it all)  
Fall…into love…love – __Clear the Area_ by Imogen Heap

Chapter Five

Lelouch sighed as he paced around Suzaku's room, trying to find something to do to amuse himself. Suzaku was taking a shower and he had learned early on that Arthur only liked to play when he was in the mood (which wasn't nearly often enough). He surrendered to his boredom after a small second and then flopped over on the floor, laying on his side and staring at the mini-cat kingdom that Arthur was almost always sitting atop. _'Okay, first thing to do once I'm human again is put on some real clothes. Between this over-sized shirt, that damn straight jacket, and going commando beneath both, I am not going to be taking a nice fitting pair of briefs and some loose fitting jogging attire for granted for a good long while,'_ He thought while stretching a bit. He then yawned loudly, tongue popping out and then curling back into his mouth, and blinked a few times. _'And then I think I'll break up with Suzaku, just to get back at him for this whole mess. Oh, but first I'll seduce him! Ah, yes, I'll take his purity while breaking his heart and enslaving him to join the Black Knights all in one sitting! Yes, that seems like a fitting punishment and then… The smell! That's why I had to kill that damn banzai tree; it smelt like… green!'_ He thought while sitting up, alert and keen. His tail, which had begun swishing frantically beside him, suddenly stopped and dropped back to the ground, his ears flattening to his skull and a low pitched growl trembling in his throat. _'What kind of logic is that? It smelt green? That isn't even a valid description for an individual of my intelligence!'_

'_But it is the logic of a common kitten, hence why you thought it,'_ A smooth female tone mused lightly in his head. Lelouch's ears twitched and he scowled even more, nose wrinkling in disgust.

'_I had a feeling I'd be hearing from you some time soon, witch,'_ He thought snidely, _'I just hadn't thought it would be so soon.'_

'_Yes, well, I have to keep you on a tight and short leash, Lelouch. Not only for my own benefit, but the future of humanity,'_ She explained calmly. He sat up and hopped up on to the bed, lying back down with his head on a pillow.

'_I thought your love of humanity died long ago, due to you being a deathless immortal witch?'_ He asked with a low sigh, watching as Suzaku exited the bathroom in nothing but a towel. The steam from the other's heated shower began to fill the room, making it only slightly warmer by maybe a tenth of a degree. Lelouch was acutely interested when the other dropped the towel and began looking for something to wear.

'_Hmm. Get your mind out of the gutter and maybe I'll give you the full details. It must be hard, Lelouch, to be a seventeen year old on the inside but a mewling four-year cat creature on the outside. And, given that your precious Suzaku spent a great deal of time with the bountiful Princess Euphemia, I doubt he is a loli-con,'_ She replied in a haughty tone. He could almost see the smirk that would be paired with the mocking look in her amber spheres as she said these words to him and it made him growl. Luckily enough Suzaku hadn't noticed the noise. _'Ah, much better. Anyway, for years I hated humanity because of their wars and strife. If the world began a trek for a peaceful future, and this end was realized, Geass would no longer be a necessity. Without war and hatred in the world, I would be freed of my deathless life and be given a time span like every other human in the world. I could be killed and that… Well, this may sound strange to you, but death sounds like a nameless blessing when you've lived as long as I.'_ He couldn't really argue that she might be sick after her time on earth, really. He knew she'd been around quite a time; she had to be at least three decades older than him, given she had met his mother in Marianne's teen years. So she had lived an average life and, if she knew his uncle and father in their youth, that was another twenty years he could add on, since his father was quite a bit older than his mother had been. _'I just want to be free to have a peaceful, calm death in a world where I'm no longer needed. So I have to make sure that you survive this ordeal and accomplish the tasks ahead of you.'_

Lelouch closed his eyes and relaxed as Suzaku sat down on the bed and reached over, lightly petting his head. _'So why did you get in contact with me already? There must be some reason other than to harass me and tell me tales of your terrible experience with the darker side of humanity,'_ He thought.

'_Ah, you're still as sharp as ever, even with half your mind filled with the desire to kill a mouse and leave it in Suzaku's boot as a present,'_ She thought with a small chuckle. Lelouch's ears twitched a bit, the idea becoming quite a bit appealing. He quickly tossed it aside, earning him even more laughter from the immortal witch. _'We've changed our plans a little bit. We're all going to meet up on Kamina Island; we had the Black Knights set up a new base there since it's completely off the Britannian radar since you were captured. Plus I know Charles would never send any troop there in search of anything for fear of them finding the portal to the World of C.'_

'_Shouldn't you be telling Suzaku instead of me? He'll be the one piloting our escape vehicle, after all,'_ Lelouch thought back curiously.

'_He isn't the one I made the contract with so we can't get a hold of him. So it's your job to tell him about our little change of plans, because if he lands in Japan instead it's going to be your heads and we won't be there to help,'_ She said casually, as if discussing the weather. He let out a low growl, glaring. Suzaku was surprised by this and pulled his hand back.

Lelouch jumped off the bed and began to pace again. _'And how do you suggest that I, a two foot tall four year old cat hybrid with paws and an inability to talk other than cat noises deliver this very crucial bit of knowledge? Through telepathy? Smoke-signals?'_ He retorted angrily, continuing to pace and growl angrily.

'_I'm sure you can figure it out; you are Lelouch vi Britannia, after all,'_ Said the witch before there was nothing but silence in his head again. He growled lowly and sat, looking around in hopes of getting something figured out. If only he had hands! Then he could use a pen or even a feather quill… His eyes widened as the thought stroke him. Of course! Why hadn't he thought of it before? He jumped on to the seat of the desk and then on top of it.

Suzaku always left blank papers on top of his desk in case he had a strange dream he wanted to write down before he forgot it or in case he needed to remember something involving his status as a Knight of Round. Lelouch looked around and smiled to himself when he spotted a little pot of ink. He approached it, keeping an eye on Suzaku to make sure he didn't try to stop him, before placing his front paws on either side and yanking out the cork with his teeth. Suzaku kept his ink in a large ceramic pot with the kanji character for ink on it, so the mouth was wide enough for Lelouch to dip his tail in. "Hey, what are you doing?" Suzaku yelped in surprise, jumping to his feet and darting over. Lelouch winced, disliking the heavy, greasy feeling of the ink clinging to his fur but deciding it was worth it.

Lelouch set the ink-coated tip of his tail against a paper and, through careful concentration, spelt out two quick and incomplete sentences for the Japanese male who watched with wide, stunned eyes. "Plans changed. Kamina Island," He had managed to right before his tail lost interest and began flicking about wildly. Luckily enough most of the ink had come off on the page so it didn't splatter all over the desk.

"How do you know?" Suzaku asked in a low whisper. He wanted to see if he was just crazy, f he had slipped in the shower without realizing it so now he was hallucinating, or if he was actually seeing what he thought he was seeing. Lelouch tapped one claw against the letter 'C' twice. "Cici told you?" He whispered, slumping in to his chair and gawking at the cat boy who nodded again. "But how did she get in contact with you?"

Lelouch dipped his tail back into the ink and smeared out the first bit he'd written with one quick jerk of his tail. He pushed the paper up so he could get to the last half and let his tail take another dip in the loathsome black goo. He then scribbled down his next message, using symbols to help so he didn't have to try as hard to form letters. Suzaku saw the word "Contract" with a small drawing of the Geass symbol next to it. Suzaku didn't know too much about Geass; he only knew that it was a power that Lelouch had, it had a hand in the death of Euphemia, and that Lelouch was given it by the mysterious bomb girl, A.K.A. Cici.

"What do you mean?" He asked slowly, leaning forward a bit. Lelouch pointed at the word 'Contract' and then the letter 'C' twice again. Suzaku tilted his head as the puzzle pieces began to stick together in his head. "Cici contract? You made a contract with Cici to get your Geass?" He asked. Lelouch's deep purple spheres lit up and he mewled loudly. The brunette swore it was a joyous sound, implying that he had figured it out. "So because of your contract she can communicate with you without being near you? I think I'm starting to understand this whole thing…" He trailed.

Lelouch, overjoyed that the other had caught on much faster than expected, reached over and lightly head butted his hand and purred loudly. _'Thank you God! Maybe you aren't as dumb as a ton of bricks afterwards, Suzaku!'_ He cheered with a happy, content sort of sigh.

"Wait… When did you get your memories back?" Suzaku exploded with wide eyes, horror covering the emerald spheres. Lelouch paused in his actions, looking at the wall on the other side of the room with his head pressing into Suzaku's arm.

'_Shit,'_ He thought flatly.

…

"I feel so betrayed, you know that? I mean, you should have told me as soon as you got your memories back! You could have figured out that whole tail-in-the-ink-pot trick a lot sooner! That would have made both our lives a little easier, don't you think?" Suzaku hissed quietly as he walked down the hall toward the knightmare hangar. Lelouch was in his kennel, glaring in to the darkness as he listened to the other rag on him. "Now I know why you reacted like you did after that bath! You dirty little pervert!"

'_Which one of us is the seventeen year old boy who was feeling up on whose body, hmm? Take at least a little of the blame, you self-serving prick,'_ He thought with a little grumble. He was answered by the kennel being jerked a bit, causing him to hit the sides and hiss angrily.

"I know you were probably just making some smart ass remark about me in your head," He grumbled as he entered. He blinked a few times when he saw the new white, metal extensions added to the back of his knightmare frame. "Are those the wings?" He asked in surprise and confusion, not seeing how those things would hold up his large knightmare frame. Lloyd turned in his chair and grinned impishly at him as he stood.

"Well it's a very complex system but don't worry; they do get large," He chuckled lightly as he walked over. He then grinned down at the kennel, leaning forward to lightly tap his finger against the top. He received a less than pleased his from the experiment inside. "And I assume he's been well?"

"Yes, he's been better than you'd expect, actually," He grumbled, shooting a discrete glare at the cage. The other glanced up then chuckled, snatching the kennel up and twirling it in the air.

"Well, while we tend to helping you adjust to the new system he can go into the other room and rest in his kennel," He mused lightly before heading toward the door. He paused, twirling on his heel, and grinned at Cecile. "Please help Suzaku get adjusted to everything while I drop this little fellow off, Miss Cecile." He sang before unlocking the door and heading down the stairs.

The walk downstairs seemed much longer than it actually was because of the lack of sight Lelouch was stuck with. Every step the scientist took seemed to take five minutes and then, finally, the other paused to fiddle with his keys again. He then opened the door, flicked on the light, and a few white beams crept in through the slits in the top of the cage. He set Lelouch down calmly and chuckled. "Too bad I have a long memory, little mister! I had to order a brand new table because of your little shenanigans last time! I won't be letting you out so I enjoy your solitary confinement!" He tsked before walking away, slamming the door shut behind him.

"What a dull man," Lelouch mewled to himself. It wasn't like the other experiments here could hear him or understand him; he had learned that most of them had gone deaf or their minds had been turned to complete mush, unable to identify anything other than the fact that sometimes the lights came on and they were given scraps of food, which they always scarfed down out of their ravenous appetites. Any that didn't eat their meals normally wound up dead the next morning.

"He's less dull and more of a sociopathic genius, really," A soft voice stated gently. Lelouch jerked up and looked to the side of his kennel. The voice was another experiment much like him only she was a dog; Lelouch could understand animals but could also hear a small amount of the animal noise they made as well. He scoffed lightly as he lay on his belly to continue the conversation in a more comfortable position.

"Well I find that to be an overdone and rather dull cliché. He's the same as any other insane scientist in any other science fiction novel. I've read most of them so I should know," He said bluntly. The other giggled lightly as this. He could practically see her wagging tail. "People don't seem to be able to think of anything outside of mad scientists and genetic experiments without straying too far out and mingling into the fantasy genre as well. Pure science fiction almost always has a mad scientist who does morally and ethically wrong experiments on humans; whether they be innocent children or prisoners of a government facility is simply dependent upon the author's preference. Do they want the experiments to be seen as poor victims by the readers, or as heartless monsters deserving as the punishment, or to be seen as a bizarre mix of the two? Either way, I'm rambling, and my point remains; this just feels like the plot of a bad science fiction novel to me."

"You're a fan of science fiction, I assume?" She asked calmly.

"Less a fan and more that I was running out of material to read. I decided to check into other genres of literature that didn't particularly call to me and see if perhaps my misgivings were irrational. Science fiction was one of the genres I found I didn't have much of a taste for, though there were a few exceptions to this rule," He said calmly while resting his head on his paws. It felt sort of nice to be having as close to a normal conversation as he could get in his current form. "But that number was very slim and the books in said ruling are barely worth my time to retell to you."

She giggled again at this. "You're very analytical, aren't you? Then again, I guess I very much like that about you," She hummed back happily. He blinked a few times, his ears twitching slightly, before he glared down at the invisible floor of his kennel.

"You're far too kind, I must say," He stated gently. He then took a deep breath before continuing. "So you've become a dog? Somehow I don't think that's quite right."

"It's close enough to keep me alive. At least, it keeps me from dying while he tries to find a way to reverse this. He has his orders, after all," She agreed easily enough. Somehow her agreement made him only that much more uneasy about where their conversation was heading.

"And then where will you be going after he has found this cure and changed you back to who you used to be?" He asked softly.

"Well, I guess I'll be returned to my previous position after my actions are covered up. After all, things were never said out right to the public," She said gently. He could hear her shift, as if trying to get more comfortable herself. There was a long time, he assumed roughly a half an hour, before she spoke again. "I don't blame you, you know."

"You've never known quite how to hold a grudge, Euphemia," He said so quietly he wondered briefly if she even heard him. After her heard her chuckle, he knew she had. Mostly because her ears were probably much like his own; her hearing was just as good as any dog. "I must ask a favor of you, however."

"Anything for you, Lelouch," She said quickly. Her eagerness to accept any task he wished to ask of her made the guilt beginning to bubble about in his stomach fester even more so.

"Once you are returned to normal, please, take care of Nunnally. Tell her to forget of me and let her brother's memory fade away," He said gently. If all his plans went well for the future… Well, he would never see any of them again. He would complete his attack against Britannia and then most likely disappear with Cici, his accomplish, and leave Euphemia to succeed the throne. Suzaku would be named Knight of One, he would protect her, and Lelouch vi Britannia, or Lelouch Lamperogue or Zero or whatever the world saw him as, would cease to exist; he would rob himself of the world and rob the world of him.

"Yes, Lelouch," She whispered weakly, "I can do this last task for you. I will consider it my younger brother's dying wish, then."

He was grateful that somehow, without fully comprehending, she understood a little of his thinking.

_You'll be loved you'll be loved  
Like you never have known  
The memories of me  
Will seem more like bad dreams  
Just a series of blurs  
Like I never occurred  
Someday you will be loved – __Someday You Will be Loved_ by Deathcab for Cutie

…

Suzaku sighed as he stuffed his clothes and a few other personal things into the black duffel bag he was using to carry his things. He was trying to pack as light as possible to assure there would be enough space in the Lancelot for him, Lelouch, Arthur, and his things. He glanced over and giggled a bit, watching as the other chased a small ball around, batting at it with one paw while leaning heavily on the other. Somehow knowing that the real Lelouch was somewhere in that mix of human form and cat attachments made it just that much more comical to him. There was a tap on his door. "Hey, Suzaku, it's Gino. Mind if I come in?" He asked cheerfully.

"Come on in," He said calmly, returning his attention to folding up the shirt Lelouch had been borrowing. He had put the other back in his newly cleaned jail uniform since that fit him much better than the shirt had. The blonde walked in, shutting the door quickly but quietly, before shifting his gaze down to the ground. He blinked slowly as he watched Lelouch, still pursuing the ball, trip over the cable to the desk lamp and knock the item over. The light bulb inside broke, luckily shut off, but the noise made his tail fluff and made him hiss as he jumped back. Vert orbs shifted from the stunned male to the frantic cat child. "Yeah, he's kind of a frisky little brat." He said briskly as he walked over. He picked the lap up, being careful to remove the broken bulb, and tossed the shattered thing in the trash. He then got out the hand-held vacuum and began sucking up the shattered glass. "Can you get Arthur in his kennel for me?" He asked calmly, looking over his shoulder.

"Uh, sure," Gino said after a second, still staring at Lelouch, before turning around. He picked up the gray rectangle with metal grate door and the name Arthur in rainbow colored letters along the top. "Hey, it even has his name on it in stickers!" He laughed happily, setting it down and opening the door.

"Milly Ashford, the President of the Student Council of the school I went to, did that. She said that if I was going to tote him around in a grey container I should at least add some sort of decoration to it for the sake of character," He explained, smiling lightly as he remembered those days. Things had been so much better at Ashford; sure, he was tormented by the students gripped with racism and hatred, but he had Lelouch and Nunnally all to himself back then. Now he rarely saw Nunnally and he was about to have to share Lelouch with the Black Knights.

"Well I can see why that would make sense. Grey really is a very dull color," He agreed as he picked the purple cat up. He then carefully placed him inside, closed the door, and put his hands on his hips as he stood up. "Huh, that's not what I was expecting at all. You made him sound like a pain in the neck but that wasn't hard at all."

"That's because you aren't me," Suzaku sighed as he picked Lelouch up. He then held him up and looked at him with a little scowl. "Now listen up, Lelouch, I'm going to have to put you in your kennel now so no fighting, struggling, or other general funny business. Okay?"

'_Whatever you say,'_ He thought mockingly, deciding he'd misbehave just for the fun of it. After all, what fun would it be for him to make Suzaku' life easier? He let out an innocent sounding mew on the outside as a response.

"Fine," Suzaku grumbled before heading over to Lelouch's kennel and opening it. As soon as he began to set him in Lelouch's claws dug into his arm, his teeth found purchase near his wrist, and his little back feet began to attack the underneath of his arm. Suzaku let out a yowl of pain before growling and shoving Lelouch in, bopping him on the head to get him to let go. "Goddamnit, Lelouch! You think you're so damn funny and cute, don't you?" He snapped while shutting the door before the other could hop out.

'_Well I know I am rather attractive, given how you and many of the Ashford girls stared at me. And I never do anything unless I think it will amuse me, so I don't know if that really makes me a comedian,'_ He thought calmly as he sat in his carrier quietly.

"Humans; you nibble on their arms a little and they lock you in a cage," Arthur mewled out dryly. In the last few weeks, Lelouch had learned that the cat was actually quite the comedian. He delivered his jokes in a dry, almost bored tone, and somehow the ebony haired male found he liked it.

"Tell me about it," He called back. Gino looked between the two kennels and then darted after Suzaku, who had gone to the bathroom to treat his wounds.

"Hey, Suzaku, I think they're planning on how to take you down!" He said with wide eyes. The other glared at his reflection and let out a heavy sigh.

"Somehow that wouldn't actually surprise me," He said blandly before beginning to clean out his cuts. He winced a bit and then sighed. "Would you come and help me with this real fast, actually?" He asked calmly.

"Sure thing!" Gino beamed as he darted over.

"He acts like we don't have anything better to do with our time than plot his untimely demise. What an arrogant jerk; just for that, I'm going to puke in his both his shoes and leave a nifty little whole in one of his socks later," Arthur huffed with annoyance. Lelouch smiled and laughed lightly on the inside at this little remark.

"Make it a big hole for me, would you?" He asked calmly before lightly licking one of his paws and wiping his face. He then mentally groaned as he realized that his cat-like tendencies were becoming a little bit stronger than his human control. Or, rather, they were melding with his cat urges and his human grace and etiquette, making him some kind of noble-style cat thing. _'That is somehow… Not very reassuring to me.'_ He thought with a small sigh.

"It'll be my pleasure, Little Bro," He said calmly, referring to him as such because of how lose the two had become over the last few weeks. Lelouch had learned a lot of things about Arthur since his little transformation; when he was a stray, he was the leader of his pack of cats was the main thing. Arthur led his pack of tomcats into battle with quite a few other vicious packs of cats and dogs alike. He had taken a younger kitten in as his apprentice but one night a group of dogs cornered the little fellow while he was alone and killed him. After exacting his revenge and earning a wound on one paw, Arthur left his pack to travel alone. He said shortly after that he met Suzaku, and then ended up at Ashford in the care of the Student Council. Lelouch had been surprised at how detailed the older cat had gotten with his tales, apparently just grateful to have someone he could share his stories with that could understand him.

"Okay, we're ready to go," Suzaku sighed as he walked out of the bathroom, his blonde accomplish in close pursuit. He tossed the duffel bag over his shoulder and then picked up the two cases containing his pets. Gino opened the door and grabbed his own bag, which he'd left in the hall, and waited until Suzaku had shut off his light to lead him down the hallways toward the vacant knightmare hangar. They walked in silence until they reached the room. Suzaku looked up at the roof of the hangar, a large metal ceiling that parted once a code was put in, and then looked back over at Gino. "You made sure to get the code, right?"

"I got one of the codes. But since it's after hours, the security system is going to go off as soon as the doors part. Luckily enough it'll take the guards a good fifty-three seconds to respond and the ceiling isn't set to close unless a second code is entered. Kind of a bad loophole in the system, when you think about it," He said casually as he walked over to his nearby knightmare frame, the Tristan, and tossing his duffel bag into the cockpit. Suzaku nodded mutely in agreement before setting down his bag and Arthur's kennel. He took Lelouch's and headed up to the cockpit of the Lancelot Albion (as Lloyd had renamed it since the wings had been added on) and found a good spot to the left of his seat and the wall to place him. It was a good fit that would keep him in place, no matter what type of acrobatics Suzaku was forced to do to get them away safely. He then got Arthur, placed him on the right side of his seat, and then tossed his bag in behind the seat after he sat, closed the cockpit and booted up the Lancelot Albion systems. When he heard the loud screech of the sirens, just as he finished booting up and had got his wings to materialize, he wasn't too surprised to see a blur of blue, white and red streak off into the air. Unlike the Lancelot Albion, the Tristan could change into a jet. Suzaku flicked the switch and sent his own knightmare into the air, following after his new teammate calmly.

He perked up when his communicator made a request for contact. He growled and connected, not surprised to see that it was another of the Knights of Round; Knight of Nine, Nonette Enneagram. "Kururugi, Weinberg, what the hell do you two think you're doing?" She snapped angrily. Gino's screen loaded up and he grinned impishly, a spark of mockery in his eyes.

"Well, we're going out for a late night stroll, of course! You should try it some time!" He beamed happily. Suzaku was torn between wanting to smack the other and actually applaud him for coming up with some type of alibi to keep the others from pursuing them. If they could avoid a fight right now he'd be rather grateful, given in his cargo were two other lives; one of which was pretty much the only chance humanity had at not becoming a world ruled by a tyrannical dictator.

"It is far too late to be doing such a reckless and rather immature thing. You will come back down here at once!" She snapped sternly, a scowl on her features. Gino let out a long sigh and shrugged calmly, clearly trying to think of something else to say.

"You may be older than us but we are both higher up than you in rank as Knights of the Round. We are not required to follow any orders made by you," Suzaku said coldly, glaring harshly at the woman. She flinched, face flushing to life with rage, before she unleashed a loud cry and darted off, most likely to seek out her own knightmare frame. Suzaku felt this to be no threat because unlike he and Gino, he had never seen her with a custom model knightmare frame. "Things are about to get hectic, Gino, so turn of your communicator. After we get out of Britannian air space make sure to stay close and follow after me."

"But I'm faster than you are!" Gino pointed out with a small pout in place. Suzaku fixed him with a stern look.

"I'm the one who knows where we're going so don't argue with me about this," He said levelly before they heard the loud screech of tires on the ground below. Of course; only the units belonging to the Knights of Round had been upgraded with the ability to fly so far. If they wanted to capture the two renegade knights they'd have to do it before they got too far off the main land. "Gino, only make sure to fire enough to keep the knightmare frames from moving and we'll be fine." He said with a smirk before turning off his communicator and turning the Lancelot Albion around to face his oncoming enemies.

Suzaku had been waiting weeks for some sort of combat to finally release his stress and it seemed that he was finally going to get it.

…

Cici smirked up into the rising sun that morning. She certainly hadn't been expecting Suzaku and his new little friend to arrive so early, given the miles between their locations, but she assumed they'd run into only minimalistic issues on the way and flown through the night. Kallen yawned as she walked up, a coffee mug in her hand, before looking up and blinking a few times. "Are they… Really?" She gasped lightly as the two figure came into full view. A few chips in their paint jobs and a few bullet holes but no damage other than that; not as impressive as anything Cici had done in her years as a pilot, but definitely not something to sneeze at.

"Kallen, go tell Rakshata we have a few early bird repair jobs for her and a new toy she can analyze and duplicate in her own way," She mused, snatching the other girl's cup away and taking a sip. The red head stomped off, grumbling about her drink being stolen, but went to accomplish said task. Cici stood in place as the Lancelot and this new knightmare, which had shifted from a jet just before touchdown, landed a few feet away from her. The new knightmare opened first, revealing a perky blonde who breathed in deeply and grinned at the brisk morning sea air. "Hello there. Would you like some breakfast?" She called up calmly.

"Oh, hey there! Sure! Where can I get myself some food?" He grinned as he got down from the top of his knightmare. She smiled and pointed at one of the large metal builds along the coast of the island. It had a small chef's hat on it. He grinned and headed off eagerly while Suzaku exited as well, tossing his duffel bag out first.

"Can you come here and catch his kennel?" He called as the female walked over. She held out her arms calmly and nodded, watching the suspicious glint flicker in the Japanese boy's eyes before he turned back into his cockpit. A moment later he tossed the kennel down to her. She caught it calmly, chuckling at the low pitched growl that the creature inside released. Suzaku headed down finally with Arthur's kennel in hand. "So how are things going here?" He asked calmly.

"Surprisingly well. Your mother has found a way to at least get the Black Knights to accept that you and Gino can be trusted to some degree. I'd still suggest you stay on your toes, though. We've set everything up here and things seem okay. Everyone got to pick their own roommates, aside for you and Gino. Gino will be bunking with Rin, Lindo, Kaguya and Kallen. You're with him and I." She said, indicating the kennel calmly. They both perked up when they heard a high pitched voice let out a small hum of approval.

Rakshata stood a few feet away, clad in her usual unbuttoned white lab coat, partially buttoned red shirt, and black hip-hugging slacks. She had her pipe in her mouth and was looking up and down at the Tristan. "I must say that I'm impressed to think that the Earl of Pudding created such a masterful piece of machinery; especially considering that an idiot like him should only get one miracle in a lifetime and he already created the Lancelot," She remarked with a small smirk on her lips. She then perked up and glanced over at the other two in the area. "Oh, sorry, pay me no mind. Just thinking out loud."

"By the way, Rakshata, did you finish what I'd asked you about before?" Cici asked calmly. The older woman blinked before reaching into the pocket of her coat and pulling out a vial filled with a pale orange liquid. Cici smirked and took it, looking it over calmly. "And this should help with the problem we discussed?"

"Well it is the product of a short-notice request so I don't know if it'll be perfect, but it certainly won't do any more harm than has already been done," She explained calmly. Cici nodded and headed off, glancing back at Suzaku briefly, inclining her head to follow. After grabbing his bag, he followed her with Arthur and his things in his hands.

She led him to the metal shack farthest from the shoreline and other little buildings. She opened the door and after they were both securely inside she locked it back up. Inside was an adjacent door, which he assumed was a bathroom, and two beds with a nightstand between them; one was king sized and the other a twin. He raised an eyebrow and she indicated the smaller one. "That one is yours. Feel free to get comfy while I give Lelouch his medicine." She said while setting the kennel on the larger bed and letting Lelouch out. She then opened the drawer on the nightstand and pulled out a syringe.

'_Different from the one you used to take my blood, I'd hope?'_ Lelouch thought as he lay down next to her. His tail twitched as she unscrewed the cap on the vial and began to fill the syringe with it.

"If it is the same one, just be thankful I washed it out for you," She said with a smug smirk. After filling the needle she put the empty vial on the dresser and lightly flicked the syringe to assure it was ready.

"So you really can communicate with him," Suzaku mumbled softly, watching with acute interest at how calm Lelouch was as the other woman went for his wrist. The other night his cat-like instincts had gotten the best of him and had been the reason for Suzaku to need to hold him down; somehow knowing it was because of that and not that Lelouch felt safe around him made Suzaku feel a small bit of bitterness toward the witch.

"Yes, that is true. For once Lelouch didn't lie to you," She said with a small bark of laughter. He twitched and looked away, instead glaring at the vacant red bedspread of his bed. "Then again, you weren't always the most forth coming with him so why should you expect the whole truth from him? It's rather selfish to hold other people to a different standard than you hold yourself to. It's a very unbecoming quality of a child, a friend, a knight, and, most importantly in your case, of a lover as well." He growled and stood at these words glaring at her hotly.

"What gives you the right to insult me like this? Lelouch told me more lies than I ever told him! And my lies were meant to protect him and Nunnally from worrying over me all the time!" He snapped angrily, glaring harshly at the two who just stared at him blankly. Cici shrugged and pushed the medicine, she and Lelouch turning back toward each other.

"He certainly is a hot-tempered one, isn't he? I didn't know that was the type of person you were attracted to romantically, Lelouch. What other secrets have you been keeping from me, you naughty little boy?" She asked casually after emptying the medicine into his arm and putting it back in the drawer. She put the empty vial in as well.

'_Now why should I reveal all my secrets to you when I only recently found out what you were keeping from me?'_ He asked back with a small smirk, stretching calmly. He perked up for a moment, realizing that he could feel the medicine beginning to spread throughout his body and take effect.

"Ah, a clever response, Lelouch. I guess I'll drop this subject for now since you've made such an excellent point against me," She mused calmly before standing. She chuckled and perked up suddenly, glancing toward the other. His eyes had widened suddenly, tail fluffing out and ears flattening to his skull. She blinked a few times before slowly reaching out to touch him. "Lelouch?" She asked delicately. Just as her fingers were about to brush one of his ears Lelouch's body suddenly began shivering and released an ear-splitting yowling of pain. He fell to his side, appearing to be having a seizure, and continued to let out this horrifying cry. She pulled her hand back and clenched it into a fist, a glare coming to her features.

"What's going on? What's wrong with him?" Suzaku demanded worriedly, looking at the other over her shoulder. She turned and looked at him sternly, her eyes sharp enough to cut diamonds.

"What do you expect after what was done to him? A magic cloud of smoke and then he'd be himself again? Some dramatic, flashy transformation like in those stupid cartoons your people seem so fond of making?" She snapped coldly. He blinked, taken aback by her harsh words, but then did his best to return the glare. "Altering someone's body and mind like they did to Lelouch isn't an easy feat. The reversal medicine he's taking now is most likely doing exactly what it's supposed to be doing; it's making Lelouch live through the shift again only it will most likely be much worse this time. Whatever he went through to end up like this is what he'll have to go through again to turn back to himself." She explained before turning and walking back over to her young charge. She carefully picked him up and headed toward the other door, opening it and placing him inside. "We're going to keep him in the bathroom in case he needs to vomit or anything like that. Plus that room is so small he won't be at risk of hurting himself too severely. Now, shall we go get some breakfast? We need to keep up our energy and we can bring something back for Lelouch, just in case the pain subsides and he can stomach a little something." She said before heading out. He followed her after a quick, guilty glance back at the bathroom.

"Miss Cici, what's that noise?" A young man asked with a concerned scowl on his face. Suzaku looked at her through the corner of her eye, wondering what her response would be. She merely looked at the young Japanese man calmly.

"That is Zero trying to recover from what was done to him by Britannia. I request that no one other than Suzaku Kururugi, Kallen Koizuki and I be permitted in there at any given time to check on him," She said before walking away and heading into the cafeteria building. Suzaku followed after her, trying to fight back a small bubble of gratitude directed at her for naming him as one of Lelouch's only guards.

…

It was a whole two days before Lelouch's cries finally died down and another three days before he was well enough to hold anything down without hacking it back up a second later. Suzaku had been able to nibble on food but hearing the raven topped male in such pain had left him with less of an appetite than normal. Cici may have said that Suzaku and Kallen were the only ones side from herself allowed to enter the shack, but she was the only one who ever did anything for Lelouch. She refused to let either of the other two see him in his currently disheveled appearance and she was the only one he could communicate with due to their contract. "Suzaku, do you have any spare clothes Lelouch can borrow?" She asked calmly, peeking her head out from the bathroom doorway.

"Don't you have any of his clothes with you?" He asked with a sigh, sitting up on his bed and looking over. He was a little tired, given that he hadn't been able to sleep very well the last few days, and a little annoyed that he was being kept away from the very person he'd come all this way for.

"Lelouch's clothes are all form fitting and would look really awkward on him as things stand," She said calmly. Suzaku raised an eyebrow as he opened his duffel bag, pulled out the shirt he'd put Lelouch in before with a pair of brown sweat pants.

"Isn't he back to his own age?" He asked skeptically, tossing the shirt to her first. She disappeared back into the bathroom and then poked her head back out. "I mean, really, his clothes should be fi-"

"Mreow," He heard release from the bathroom, the noise filled with annoyance. He blinked a few times and then tossed the pants to Cici as well. She nodded in gratitude before disappearing back into the bathroom, almost shutting the door completely. She returned a few seconds later.

"I need to go talk with Rakshata about this little reaction real fast. I should be back in a few minutes, unless I decide to go get myself something to eat. Watch after Lelouch and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid," She said as she headed toward the door. A hiss came from the bathroom and she rolled her eyes. "You're basically a bigger kitten, Lelouch; you need a baby sitter more than you're willing to admit." She laughed before disappearing out into the fading light of day.

'_I'm so sick of all of this,'_ Lelouch thought angrily as he walked out of the bathroom. He watched as Suzaku merely stared with wide eyes. He was currently in what had been his body almost four years ago, when he reached the age of thirteen. Luckily, the medicine had made him a little older and given him a few more of his human abilities back; he could walk on two legs and he was less possessed by the urge to chance anything that moved. But he still had the damn tail, ears, paws and he was still stuck meowing like a bloody cat! He flopped over on the bed and rested on one side, ears a little closer to his head and tail curling against his leg. He watched Suzaku, who slowly approached him and reached over to stroke his cheek. _'I'm sick of not being able to be me and act like me. I just want to be human again so I can crush an empire, have sex with my boyfriend and then dump him because he fucked up my life and plans; is that really such a terrible thing?'_ He thought with a heavy sigh.

"It's going to be okay, Lelouch. I promise," Suzaku said gently, leaning closer and gently kissing the paler male's forehead, his thumb lightly brushing along the other's cheekbone. How many times had Suzaku made promises he couldn't keep? How many times had Lelouch heard these same lines spill from the brunette's lips in hopes of quelling whatever fear was residing inside his heart? Lelouch leaned forward a little bit, brushing his lips lightly against Suzaku's. He watched the other blush a little bit and tense up. "L-Lelouch, what are you thinking?" He mumbled after Lelouch leaned back and away a little.

He tilted his head a little bit, his bangs shifting and falling into his eyes a little more, and Suzaku blinked a little bit. The other shifted a little closer, pressing into the warmth so close to him, and kissed him of so gently again. _'Why can't you ever just understand? Why do things always need so much explanation with you?'_ He thought as he let his eyes close.

"Lelouch," Suzaku mumbled while pulling back a little bit, "are you sure that you want to be like this? I mean, you're not still really yourself and I don't… I don't know if I could really resist you with you being so much closer to being completely you." Lelouch blinked a bit then chuckled a little bit, stunned that he was able to make the sound. It seemed he was a little more open to some human noises, thanks to the shift in him caused by Rakshata's antidote. He pointed one paw over towards Suzaku's bag and gave him a certain look that he hoped said go. Suzaku, with an eyebrow raised, walked over and began looking through. He blushed when he pulled out the bottle he was almost certain the other had been implying he go and collect. "You really want to, Lelouch?" He asked with a faint blush, looking over at him with the thin white bottle of lubricant in hand.

'_Assuming that there's any left, with how often you used it back at the base, than yes,'_ He thought teasingly. Instead he flashed the other a little smile and nodded wordlessly. When Lelouch wanted something, after all, he made sure to get it. Suzaku walked back over, setting the lube on the night stand, and looked at Lelouch sternly.

"Fine, but we're going to do this my way, okay?" He said with a serious expression. Lelouch responded by grinning and kissing him eagerly, his paws lightly resting on Suzaku's shoulders. The other leaned in, easing in on top of the other and kissing back gently.

Lelouch didn't really like having to submit to Suzaku but he had to admit, as one of Suzaku's hands stroked his hips and lightly teased the skin of his belly that he could reach just under his shirt, that the other was much better in these sort of situations. Suzaku was more comfortable with showing affection and being physical with it; Lelouch was better with paperwork, making grand plans, looking stunning and, as he learned recently, killing things that performed photosynthesis. He let out a noise that sounded like a mix between a groan and a purr when Suzaku's tongue slipped past his lips.

Suzaku's hands were warm but he was moving so slow. He waited until Lelouch was already flushed, dazed, and panting to even remove the shirt that barely clung to him. He let out a low, warning growl but was answered by a poke in the nose from the now smiling Japanese boy. "I told you we were going to do this my way," He said lightly before leaning in and lightly lapping up along his pulse line. He smiled a bit more at the cute little whining noise he received in response.

Suzaku began trailing his kisses downward, flicking his tongue out here and there. He made sure to leave a view more noticeable marks on the other's collarbone, knowing that they would be a little harder to see with clothes on than marks on his neck. He continued down, leaving a trail of warmth in his wake, and stopped only to dally on Lelouch's left nipple. He lightly caught it between his teeth and let his tongue glide over it slowly. He took more time than planned here just because Lelouch arched and made such delightful noises when he focused on this area. But after a moment or so he continued downward, adorning the other's slim midriff with kisses, until he reached the elastic band of the sweatpants. "Are you really sure about this, Lelouch?" He asked worriedly. He was awarded with a glare, ears flattening, and a low growl from the other. "Okay, I just wanted to be sure about this." He said, holding his hands up defensively before easing the pants down and leaving his associate nude.

He watched as Lelouch tried to pick up the lube, trying to pick it up by pressing it between the pads of his two paws, before chuckling and picking it up just as it was about to fall to the ground. He held it up and shook it lightly at the other with a joking grin in place, which was answered with a glare. _'Sorry your decision to hand me over to the government for experimentation caused me to lose my opposable thumbs!'_ He seethed inside, snapping back when he felt something cool and wet trace around his entrance.

"I'm just preparing your entrance before I start stretching you," Suzaku explained calmly before slipping one finger in. Lelouch jolted up a little bit and let out a small noise. "I know it feels weird but it has to be done." He lectured calmly, slowly pumping, and making Lelouch feel like an immature young child needing to be put in his place. He flopped back on the mattress and tried to relax. When a second finger joined the first he spread his legs a little wider in hopes of helping a little. He let out a little hiss of pleasure when Suzaku gently scissored them, striking something within him that just felt absolutely wonderful. The other perked up, emerald orbs darkening as a small smirk came to his lips. So he'd found it, huh? He repeated the action, smiling when the other let out another noise and arched, and made sure to remember when the little sweet spot was. "Do you think you're ready?" He asked, looking up at Lelouch. The other was more flushed than before, his eyes were screwed shut in pleasure, he was panting and releasing the most beautiful, blissful noises the other had ever heard.

'_Oh… Wait, he asked me a question. I need to nod,'_ Lelouch thought through the haze, forcing his mind to process through the cloud of delight, and nodded as best as he could.

"Okay then," Suzaku mumbled before opening his pants, freeing his own neglected arousal. He sighed lightly at the sheer relief at being no longer confined. He made sure to coat himself in a generous amount, not wanting to be too greedy with it and risk hurting Lelouch, before he set the bottle back and positioned himself. After a deep breath, he began to push in.

Lelouch and Suzaku were both stunned for very different reasons in the moment that Suzaku filled Lelouch up; for Lelouch it was that it didn't hurt nearly as much as he'd expected, though it did hurt a little bit, and for Suzaku it was that Lelouch was tighter than his fingers had led him to believe. Lelouch arched again, gasping loudly, and Suzaku let out a hiss as he tried to hold back. He waited a few more seconds, taking quite a few breathes to gather his wits, before beginning with slow, shallow thrusts. He made sure to aim for that one spot that would have Lelouch going mad and grinned when he did, the other releasing a loud and slightly squeaky cry. _'Oh dear God! That is just… exquisite,'_ Lelouch moaned to himself as he gasped louder, body beginning to quake as Suzaku continued to hit at that angle. He let out an even louder cry when the other began to slowly pump him in time to the thrusts.

"You're getting close, aren't you? It's okay to let go, Lelouch," Suzaku panted up. He watched through bleary eyes as Lelouch let out one final, strangled cry before his walls clamped shut as tight as they could and milked Suzaku of all he was worth. Afterwards, Suzaku looked down at his hand, covered in Lelouch's essence, and slowly pulled out. The smaller form let out a small noise of discomfort at the movement, before wiping it off with the shirt Lelouch had been wearing previously. He then slipped the sweatpants back on and moved to get up, not knowing what exactly Lelouch wanted.

'_Wait!' _"Mew!" Lelouch reached out, the claws of one paw catching on Suzaku's shirt and causing the other to turn, pushing a few curled locks away from his eyes and blinking. Lelouch shifted his gaze to the pillows by his head, unsure why he'd stopped Suzaku, before releasing his shirt and pulling his paw back to himself. The other blinked, then smiled softly.

He crawled over and gently wrapped his arms around Lelouch's body, pressing the other's head to his chest and stroking the soft black locks he found there. "You want to be close for once, right?" He asked gently, kissing the top of the other's head. Lelouch blinked, then closed his eyes and nuzzled close, a soft purring noise coming from him.

'_I guess I do… This is my thank you for our past, and my act of farewell to our future,'_ He thought sadly, knowing full well that he would be killing a part of them both in the morning. But Lelouch vi Britannia was nothing if he wasn't a man of his word; Suzaku had earned this revenge and Lelouch could not let him go unpunished. And he had a feeling that, with Suzaku's masochistic tendencies, he wouldn't fight back too hard over the matter.

_Common sense and morals  
Crushed and destroyed  
If there are to be punishments,  
I should be the only one punished.  
What you said at the end  
I embrace those words.  
I am thinking of you every day  
The feeling of your shoulder in my embrace  
Before that melts away into nothing  
I will go and meet you.  
Embraced in a quivering and wavering fantasy  
What I said to you were  
Imitation. – __Imitation Black_ by Kaito, Kagamine Len and Kamui Gakupo

End

Bonus Story: The Tales of Yanki Cat

Bright gold eyes glinted in the dim light of the alley. Ten figures stood there, five against five, as they summed up their opponents. "This is our lands and you've stumbled quite a ways from home," The leader on one side said, eyes narrowing dangerously. The leader of the other group chuckled lightly at this.

"And who might you be, to order me around like that? Who the hell do you think you are?" Asked one figure with a mocking tone. The first speaker twitched, a long tail swaying behind him.

"Who the hell do you think I am?" The first speaker challenged back before launching. They collided in an eruption of fangs, growls and fangs. Their respective teammates launched forward as well, taking after whichever of their enemies they considered the better target for them. They hopped here and there, launching in what may have almost been a somewhat graceful and lethal dance; if not for the noises the creatures were making, that is. After a few moments of battle the second speaker broke away, trying to run away. "Don't enter my territory ever again! I am the great Yanki of the Britannian Settlement and don't you forget it!" He called angrily, tail fluffed out and ears pressed to his skull.

…

Yanki yawned and stretched as he relaxed on top of a tree in a park not too far off from where he'd just won his latest battle. He hated it when rival gangs tried to take over what they knew wasn't there's more than he hated dogs or water. "Hey, Bro, are you up there?" A perky little voice asked below. He glanced down and smiled at the grey stripped kitten sitting by the base of the tree. Little Paws was the youngest member currently in his pack and Yanki had picked the smaller kitten to succeed him and lead the pack once he was gone.

"I'll be right down, Little Bro," He said with a small smile, hopping from branch to branch until he reached the base. Since he had taken the other in, he'd given him the affectionate nickname of Little Bro. He landed right in front of the kitten and smiled, beginning to walk toward the pond in the park. He could use a quick sip of water. "So what's up?"

"The Bow-Wow pack said that they want us to give up part of our lands since they have more members and a lot of their females are going to have puppies soon," He explained gently. Yanki hopped on to the edge of the fountain, waiting a moment before picking Little Bro up by his scruff and setting him next to him, and dipping down to take a few quick laps of water. He then licked his chops and looked at the perky ball of grey fuzz.

"Tell me, Little Bro, what do we say to mangy mutts who don't seem to remember their place in this settlement of ours?" He asked calmly, lifting one paw and beginning to clean it casually.

"We tell them to go sniff a tree!" The kitten beamed happily, purring and grinning in joy. Yanki smiled and lightly nuzzled the side of the kittens face affectionately, a proud smile on his lips. Cats showed their affection differently than humans did and were much more willing to show it.

"That's right. Now go and tell those dogs where to stick it," He said, setting the little kitten and watching him run off happily, tail high in the air with glee. He smiled lightly before heading off to rally his troops, just in case the dogs decided to try anything funny.

…

Yanki perked up as the sun began to dip behind the mountains in the distance, his tail flicking in agitation. He had sent Little Paws off to deliver the messages hours ago in yet he had still not returned. "Boss, Boss! It's terrible!" Crooked Eye, a cat with a screwy eye that was Yanki's right-paw cat, called frantically as he darted over. He looked at the other with a calm look, wondering what could be so horrible that the other was acting as such. "Boss, they-they broke the rules! Ah, that doesn't even matter none! Boss, those damn mutts' killed Little Paw!"

"What?" He asked while standing, eyes wide and terror filling his chest. No… No, they couldn't have! He knew the Bow-Wow pack was ruthless but surely they wouldn't have killed Little Paw! "What did you just say?" He demanded harshly.

"They killed him Boss… They mutilated him and killed him! I never even seen a wolf do such terrible things to any animal, deservin' or not!" He whimpered, eyes screwing shut in pain. Yanki growled lowly in his throat and started to walk past.

"Crooked Eye, have the ladies find a nice place to bury Little Paw and get the men ready for combat. These damn dogs have done more than just break the rule against killing the successor; they killed my Little Bro," He said as he headed down, looking into the sad gold, blue and green gazes of his pack cats. He growled lowly. "Men, follow me! It's about time those damn dogs learn why we're the most terrifying clan! Kill one of ours and we'll kill all of yours!" He yelled loudly, the ground joining in and repeating his phrase as they followed, the women staying and saying it as they watched them go.

The cats took off through the trees, calling to any of their other brethren hovering in yards or behind glass perches. By the time the cats had reached the edge of their land, where the Bow-Wow park lands began, their whole land was singing with fury over the fallen youth. A dog keeping guard glanced over and howled lightly, calling to his own for back up. They all arrived shortly after. "Good day to you, Yanki," Said the dog's leader, a fat pug by the name of Squints.

"You've stepped on my tail for the last time, you mutts," Yanki growled lowly. The dogs and cats began growling, hiss and snapping at one another. Their leaders remained eerily calm.

"I don't know what you happen to be discussing, Yanki," Squints said with a small snort. Yanki's ears slipped back against his skull.

"You killed the next to lead, Squints," He growled, causing the dogs to all fall silent and look around in horror. Though they were almost always at war, the animals of the streets followed a few rules. One was that they never steal food or drink from one another's lands. Another that they were to stay away from one another's lands during the times to mate, but the most important that you never lay a tooth, nail, or paw on the future leader of any given pack; due to this, the packs usually sent their next leaders to deliver messages so that they didn't have to worry about the messenger getting attacked.

"Oh, my word, Yanki! I was not informed that kitten was your Little Paw! My men told me he was just some ru-"

"If you say run-of-the-mill runt I'll leave a nice little mark on your nose so you never forget your place, you worthless piece of kibble-crunching garbage," He growled lowly, claws almost begging to find purchase in the dog's cold black nose.

"Yes, well, in light of this terrible tragedy, I assume a trade is in order. I shall hand over the members of my pack who attacked that poor kitten so that you may do with them as you see fit," He said calmly. A heartless, dark growl trembled through Yanki, causing the other to blink. "Does that not satisfy you?"

"No, it really doesn't," He growled before lunging forward at the dog's face. A brawl broke out in which dogs and cats alike were using any body part on them to get the other down. Yanki dug his fangs into Squints head while clawing at his eyes with his back feet and his front feet clawed at the dog's ears. "He was more than a future leader; he was my Little Bro!" He announced through the mouthful of fur.

…

Silence fell within the pack after the dogs had been defeated. They'd extended their territory through their victory, a few of their men had died, and now Yanki was sporting a wounded paw. But all of this paled when compared to the fact that dear Little Paw was forever last. "What should we do now, Boss?" Crooked Eye asked softly as he walked over. Yanki looked back at him sadly and then looked back down at his paws.

"I'm leaving. I… I don't deserve to lead. I want you to take over for me, Crooked Eye, and take good care of everyone," He said gently before limping away. The rest of his pack watched him leave, unable to stop him because they were all so stunned by his presence and that he was leaving so quietly.

…

"Not too long after that I was found and then I ended up at Ashford with that mask on my head. And I think you know the story after that," Arthur said calmly as he lay in his kennel. Out of their own boredom on the way to Kamina Island, Arthur and Lelouch had decided to share stories. After Lelouch had asked to know more about the pack Arthur had told him of the say Little Paw died.

"But how did you meet Little Paw in the first place?" Lelouch asked gently. Arthur smiled to himself and set his head on his paws, yawning quietly.

"That's a story for another time, my friend," He said gently, closing his eyes and dreaming of the days before he lost his Little Bro and surrendered his title of Boss out of shame.

End

Longest. Chapter. EVER! I promised action but I guess I didn't really deliver on that. Also, I think you should all listen to the song _Imitation Black_; it's beautiful and I feel it really makes sense in regards to Lelouch and Suzaku. Skiperella, I also want to thank you because you were actually the reason I came up with the idea of Lelouch using his tail to write out words using ink. I hope that this prize was what you wanted and well worth it~! Well, please review and I hope you all keep coming back with your feedback~!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. I do own the plot. All songs used belong to their respective artists; how many of you did the homework I suggested at the end of the last chapter, by the way? This story contains a prize for Magician Girl Mirani. I hope it was worth the wait~!

_I bear in mind the miracle of our chanced meeting  
In this colorless and wide world.  
The place where you can fly more than any other place  
I promise to take you there, so,  
Please tell me.  
Even if my spirit were broken, please don't pay attention to it  
Because I can still not see through your heart.  
I will color this monochrome world with red.  
Washed with the sarcasm of this world, the color won't fade – __Monochrome World_ by Kaito

Chapter Six

Lelouch blinked a few times, stretching slowly and yawning as he sat up in bed. He had taken a quick nap, curled into the warmth that was Suzaku, and now blinked a few times. Cici was seated on the twin bed, watching him with a box of pizza resting to her right. He crawled over Suzaku carefully and approached her, sitting on the ground next to the bed. _'Give me a piece,'_ He ordered bluntly, glancing at her through his bangs.

"I had a feeling you'd be rather hungry, considering you haven't been able to really hold anything down these last couple of weeks," She said, pulling out a piece from the box. She handed it over, laughing lightly as he rested the slice on the pads of his paw and nibbled at it quietly. "So I talked to Rakshata while you two were having some quality time. She thinks a smaller dose of the medication would finish you up and get you back to normal. She kept the formula just in case and said that she'll get that ready as soon as she can."

'_Excellent. It's good to know that at least one of us has their head set on straight and can accomplish these tasks,'_ He thought as he swallowed a small bite of his food. He glanced over toward the snoozing Japanese man and a small, rumbly growl vibrated from his throat.

"You're having second thoughts about him being here," She commented calmly. Though sometimes Lelouch hated how well the witch knew him, he was grateful for it right now. He hated to admit it, but he really didn't want to end things with Suzaku, despite everything going on around them. "Do you think he'll be a hindrance to what we're trying to accomplish or is just your own feelings getting the better of you?" She asked before taking another bite of her piece of pizza.

'_Does it make me a fool to say that I'm letting my emotions reign over me as such?'_ He asked her before growling lowly and attacking his food. His human side wanted to physically lash out in frustration and his cat side, for whatever reason, suggested that he take it out on his meal. A plan that Lelouch was surprised to say wasn't completely against for once.

"It makes you human and it makes you normal, Lelouch," Cici responded with a rare smile of hers. She reached out with one hand and gently stroked behind one ear, causing the other to start and then settle back down. He purred quietly. "You walk around like you're unbreakable and undefeatable, unwilling to accept your own humanity. It's a nice change of pace to see you be a little more like an average teenage boy; scared, emotional, and oh so terribly fragile."

'_Has anyone been asking questions about why Suzaku and Gino have arrived here so suddenly?'_ He asked calmly, not wanting to have this conversation with her. There were a few things that Lelouch didn't like talking about with anyone; Lelouch's own mental status was one of these things. He knew that he was human like everyone else in the world (given his painfully high intelligence) but he didn't want to think or talk about death with anyone and though Cici was by far his greatest confidante (since he was a little unsure of how far he could trust Suzaku, Gino was a loud mouth and Kallen had already proved her main interest was self-preservation) he still wasn't in the mood. His body ached, his stomach felt like it was twisted in knots because of the lack of food and his patience with loose fitting clothes was reaching its end. Discussing his plans and movements would be an excellent deterrent from focusing on the here and now, and the soon-to-be future.

"Ohgi seems to be a little suspicious but I merely explained to them that Gino and Suzaku were double-agents all along. I explained that you trained them personally and that Suzaku stayed with Britannia after the botched rebellion to assure that you were alive and to keep in contact with Gino. Gino didn't seem to mind lying about it and Kallen nor Kaguya were forthcoming with the truth so for now I have subdued them. However," She trailed while still scratching behind his ear, "I assume hearing it from you will most definitely silence any misgivings they may hold yet."

'_Well once Rakshata has prepared the medicine and I'm back to myself I will go forth and make a statement. After all, Zero is the man of miracles; for him to have two spies in the Knights of Round with close ties to the royal family would not be too hard to believe,'_ He thought back as he polished off what was left of the crust of his slice. Normally he didn't care much for pizza, but he was rather ravenous after his little bout with Suzaku and inability to hold too much down the last few days. For now, the pizza was to him as water would be to a dying man in the desert. _'After I finish eating my fill, please go talk to Rakshata about getting that antidote. The sooner I'm back to normal the better. I only say to wait until after I eat so that the medicine won't kill me or anything.'_

She chuckled lightly and nodded, slowly rising to her feet. "I'll tend to that now. I'll go get a few more pizzas and bring in some water bottles so you can get some fluids in you as well," She said calmly. Arthur suddenly mewled as he crawled out from under the bed, his head poking out next to Lelouch's thigh. "And I'll see about getting some fish or chicken for him, too."

'_Thank you, Cici,'_ Lelouch thought calmly. He rarely felt the need to thank her but she was being far more helpful than usual. She flashed him a small smirk at the door before heading out. He then looked back at Arthur, offering him a piece of crust from the second slice he had snagged, using his claws to pull it from its home. "So are you ready to tell me about how you met Little Paw?" He asked casually.

"Toss in a pepperoni and I may consider it," The cat answered, taking the offered food and scarfing it down eagerly. Lelouch carefully plucked a pepperoni from the piece and handed that over as well, watching the other as he chomped it down carefully and licked his chops, removing any traces of sauce or cheese with the quick motion. "He was a cast-away."

"Cast-away?" Lelouch asked calmly. The other nodded calmly.

"Cast-aways are the kittens most humans leave out for anyone to just kind of take if they want. You know those boxes that people leave, unguarded, on the corner of streets with little kittens inside? The last kitten inside, the one that no one seems to want, is the cast-away kitten. There's always at least one per litter and that was Little Paw. Found him on my way to our base during this really bad rain storm; his box was filling with water and he couldn't get out so I plucked him out and took him in," Arthur explained, a sentimental gloss coating his eyes as he talked. He turned his head upward, looking toward the ceiling as nostalgia washed through him. "When I saw the look in his eyes I just knew he needed me. And, I guess, I needed him too."

"I think I can understand that feeling," Lelouch said softly, looking down at his second piece of pizza. He remembered the day Nunnally was born; it was the first, earliest thing he could remember. He had been three-years old and originally been upset because he had wanted a younger brother instead. But when his mother had the nurse set him on the bed next to her and he got a good look at the infant, he changed his mind. Ever since he had been a supportive, protective, dedicated older brother.

"I realized pretty early on, though, that I had underestimated him a little bit," Arthur chuckled, sharing another story with Lelouch, who listened happily.

…

Suzaku was awoken by the sound of the shower in the tiny bathroom going. At first, he hadn't cared, until he went to wrap his arms tighter around Lelouch to find he was hugging the empty air. He then sat up and looked around, blinking when he saw that night had fallen and there was a missing member to his current roommates. He shot a murderous glare at the amber eyes watching him with an aloof gleam. "Where's Lelouch?"

"He's taking a shower now that he'd basically back to normal. According to Rakshata, he was such a perfect match with a cat that she can't completely separate his DNA without the risk of killing him. We were able to get him back to his correct age, however, and it didn't even hurt him as badly this time; he just had a terrible migraine and a mild case of nausea," She said calmly as she took a bite out of a slice of the pizza (her third in the last hour) she was lounging with. She then blinked and made a small noise around her mouthful of cheese and sauce, swallowing with a graceless and obnoxiously loud gulping noise. "But your mother wanted to talk to you. She's in a cabin next to the cafeteria."

"I'll be back and as soon as I am I have a few words to spare with Lelouch alone," Suzaku said in a warning tone and he put on some socks and shoes. Cici chuckled mirthlessly at him in response.

"That works out quite well, since I believe that Lelouch wanted to talk with you as well," She retorted. He paused at the door, glaring at her, before leaving and slamming the door behind him.

He was a little surprised that it was so nippy out but he resisted the urge to shiver. He headed toward the small shack next to the cafeteria, where Cici had told him to go, and knocked quietly. He heard a small, lazy moan followed by his mother's groggy voice calling, "Come in." It sounded more like the noises zombies made in those old horror movies he used to watch as a child but he slipped in anyway.

The room was illuminated by only three candles resting on the table next to his mother's bed, where she was laying on her side with half opened eyes watching him. Her hair was tied off over her shoulder in a long braid, a few strands sticking out from any movement she'd made in sleep or when waking up. There were multiple shadows around them, the faint light of the candles casting a pale, sickly light to his mother's face, despite the small spark always present in her eyes. "Cici said you wanted to speak to me?" He asked politely. She shifting, sitting up calmly and folding her hands in her lap as she sat against the wall near her bed.

"I wanted to discuss a few things with you," She said calmly, gesturing with one hand for him to sit on the bed. He did so, sitting toward the edge so as to give his mother more space. He looked around a few times, wondering where her roommates were. "Kaguya took Lindo to get something to eat and your friend Gino is walking on the beach. A nice kid, for a Britannian noblemen's brat, that is. Anyway, I feel it's important that we discuss a few more sensitive and rather urgent topics. In specific, I wanted to talk with you about these suicidal tendencies and masochistic persona you've developed in the years since Japan was overthrown by Charles." He flinched at the bite of accusation to her words but sent a small glare at her.

"Why are you suddenly so concerned over my well being?" He asked flatly. She glared back at him and for a moment Suzaku almost felt like he should bow his head and apologize, as he had down as a child, because that look held just too much power over him. He used to bend over backwards in hopes of pleasing his mother but now he wondered why. She abandoned him and now tried to resume her role after years of separation, as if he owed his unwavering loyalty to her?

"I have always been concerned over your well being, Suzaku. It is my job as your mother to care for you and protect you from harm," She said delicately, her tone stern yet affectionate. Suzaku had learned that no one but Rin Kururugi could successfully combine the two emotions in reference to him; not even Lelouch was able to accomplish such a tricky thing.

"Then where were you after Japan was invaded? Why did you claim to be dead and leave me behind?" He snapped angrily at her, fists clenching on his thigh. She blinked a few times, her eyes softening a little bit on him.

"Suzaku, I sent you away to protect you. I explained this to you in Pendra-"

"Yet you kept Lindo with you? Why was that? Because his hands weren't soaked in our father's blood like my own?" He hissed out angrily. Rin flinched back, seeming to be physically hurt by the conversation, before she sighed lightly and shook her head.

"Suzaku, after Lindo was old enough to drink from a bottle, I had been planning to send him off to be with Toh-Doh and you, where I felt he'd be the safest. By that time, however, Toh-Doh had already fled to who knows where and I didn't want to leave you with the responsibility of raising an infant," She explained gently. She reached out to take his hand, but he pulled it away, and she took the hint to return her own to her lap. "You were just barely ten years old at the time, Suzaku, and you were struggling to fend for just yourself. I couldn't have forced you to become the guardian of your brother so I decided it was best for me to watch after you both, though Lindo was admittedly closer to me than you. And, about your father, I don't blame you for that either."

'_Please… Don't,'_ Suzaku thought to himself, unable to open his mouth to speak due to a lump forming in his throat at the new subject.

"If anything, I blame myself for what happened," She said with a sigh, placing a hand to her heart and causing Suzaku's head to snap up, "on that night. I pressed my beliefs on you because you were young, impressionable and for the months after Lelouch and Nunnally arrived, your contact with your father was limited. I knew he had taught you against Britannia but I couldn't stand to see my son become just as racist as many of the people around you. I thought that if I taught you to see the good in people, not for their race but for their hearts, maybe you would be given better chances in life with more cherished bonds. But it wasn't my place to put such thoughts in the head of a child while a war was waging in the world around him, and for that I accept the blame for what you did, even though I can never really apologize enough to wash your heart free of the blames or scars."

"You truly are a piece of work, aren't you, mother?" Suzaku spat out with a small laugh. Rin blinked away tears and looked at him, stunned, as he rose and met her gaze. A small, bizarre glint was in his eyes and a humorless smile was on his lips.

"Suzaku, what do you-"She silenced herself when she saw his hands. He had dug so deeply into the flesh he had broken it and blood was beginning to trickle out, colored a pitch black in the lack of proper light. Her eyes widened a fraction on him. "My God, Suzaku, you need to stop doing that!" She said quickly, reaching to take his bleeding hands into her own. He slapped them away roughly, causing her to wince and look at him in pure bemusement.

"You really are a wicked woman, aren't you? Trying to use reverse psychology to try and use guilt to control me, huh? I never thought my own mother would try something so low," He said coldly, glaring at her with a look of pure disgust on his features. She watched him in sheer horror, stunned that he was reacting like this.

"This isn't some cheap gimmick or trick to control you, Suzaku! This is the truth!" She snapped back at him, the waver she felt inside not present in her voice. His eyes hardened and narrowed on her even more before he turned to the door, walking away as fast as he could. "You may not be ready to hear this, Suzaku, but it is the truth! You are my child and I could never hate you for something you didn't mean to do!"

He slammed her door shut and stood there, fists shaking as he shook. 'Please… Please don't forgive me… Don't tell me that it's okay. Please don't ever tell me that I have repented for what I did,' He thought as he took in slow, shaky breaths. He then hardened himself again, much like he had after Euphemia died and he went after Lelouch, to go and have another conversation that he assumed would be slightly difficult. He walked toward the shack and opened the door, blinking a bit at the sight before him.

Lelouch was sitting on the larger bed, toweling off his head with a towel, wearing nothing but a pair of black slacks that fit him perfectly, a long black tail swishing slowly behind him. Cici was still seated on the twin bed, munching on the final slice of pizza in that box, when she saw him and blinked. She swallowed the bite in her mouth, picked up the empty box, and sighed. "I guess I'll leave you two be so you may have your private conversation," She said before disappearing, easing past Suzaku easily.

"So how did things go with your mother?" Lelouch asked smoothly, pulling the towel off and shaking his head. His hair fell back into its usual style perfectly, aside for the two triangular squares that jumped to life on his head. Suzaku stared a bit too long, given the annoyed scowl that came to Lelouch's face. "Yes, I know, I still have the ears and tail. Please pay attention to my words rather than my apparently permanent attachments." He seethed while heading toward the bathroom to put the towel away.

"Did you tell my mother about me?" He asked, suddenly finding his voice. Lelouch said nothing until he exited the restroom, shutting the door quietly behind him. He had a small, haughty smirk on his lips as he approached the suitcase in the corner of the room, most likely aiming to fish out a shirt to wear.

"I may have mentioned it to Cici out of concern, and she may have spoken to your mother for me since I was unable to do so myself. Telling your mommy on you is a little juvenile, though, I must admit," Lelouch said with a small smirk, his back facing Suzaku.

"I guess I should just be grateful I have a mother to be tattled on to, unlike you," Suzaku bit back with a small shrug. Lelouch tensed, his hands halting in their search through the suitcase. The brunette wasn't done yet, however, as he put a bored look on his face and shrugged again. "Then again, I guess it's a good thing your mother was murdered. Somehow I doubt that a simple time out or lecture would be enough of a punishment for her to dish out at you considering you're a murdering terrorist against your own people. And it's an even better thing that Nunnally's blind and crippled, because otherwise she would be horrified to see what you've done and would use her legs to run as far away as she could."

"How dare you!" Lelouch snapped wrathfully, turning to glare at his insulter. His fists clenched at his sides as he took a deep breath, trying to recollect himself. He then released another breath before regarding the other calmly. "Then again, such traitorous, hurtful words should be expected from you. It's a good thing I got what I wanted earlier on; from now on, you and I have no connection to one another aside from a simple leader-and-subordinate relationship." He said casually before returning his attention to his search for a shirt.

Suzaku deflated slightly at these words, his eyes filling with fear and his shoulders sagging slightly. "What do you mean by that, Lelouch?" He asked after swallowing hard. Lelouch didn't answer or even turn around to meet his gaze. "What do you mean by that?" He snapped louder, his anxiety getting the better of him. Lelouch glanced at him from his bent position with an agitated expression on his face.

"I know that you're a little slow on the uptake, but this is truly embarrassing. Since you clearly don't understand, allow me to spell it out in terms you'll understand; I'm done with you in an emotional way, Suzaku. I trust you with my secret and that is it because, honestly, no one here would believe you even if you tried to tell them who I am. But since we took care of business physically earlier I don't see a reason in us continuing this shame of a relationship we like to pretend exists," He said in a dismissive tone, like a teacher releasing his class for summer vacation after they all passed their final exams. The detachment and carelessness to his tone stung Suzaku much more than any physical blow could have.

"Are you saying that you were just in this for sex?" He croaked out nervously, blinked a few times to try and shake off the dizziness slowly overcoming him. No, no, Lelouch didn't really mean this. He was just saying this to try and make Suzaku apologize for what he had said, that was all. No way could Lelouch honestly want to break up with him after they had just committed to each other in the most intimate way known to all creatures.

"My, it seems like you were able to understand that little ramble; your mind really isn't completely gone yet. Though you should probably consider reading more books during your free time, just to help further your knowledge and ability to decipher the underline points of certain conversations. Oh, and if you weren't able to uncover the meaning of that sentence, you need to read more because you're a complete idiot was the underline point I was trying to make there," He said in that same tone of disconnection. Suzaku swallowed hard, feeling a lump in his throat and heat rising to his cheeks; the lump from sheer shock of Lelouch's words and the heat from the insult aimed at his intelligence.

"Why are you being like this, Lelouch?" He whispered weakly, forcing the words to slip out past the lump. He watched violet orbs widen on him in a mix bewilderment and pure loathing. "I know what I just said was a little harsh but does it really call for you to react like this?" He pressed further in hopes of showing Lelouch that he was behaving like a child.

"Why am I being like this? Did… Did you really just ask me that?" He asked with a small laugh, standing and meeting his gaze. He laughed again and threw his hands in the air, sitting on the bed, while shaking his head and dropping it to his hands. His laughter died away after a few short seconds and he glared up through his fingers at the other male. "Well, where do you want me to start? At the part where you lied about what department of the army you were working for, or maybe when you became Euphemia's knight and began your apparent affair with my sister, or maybe when you let Charles completely erase my memories with his Geass or when you handed me over to Lloyd the clinically insane scientist to become the newest guinea pig? I have quite a few places and points I can start at, so just pick a fucking place!" He snapped angrily, dropping his hands and standing again. He stepped so that they were standing far enough apart that they could have reached out their hands and touched one another on the shoulders or hips. "But, you know what, just for the sake of tradition, how about I stare from the first point I mentioned? Let's discuss why you lied about what you were doing in the military."

"I did that so you and Nunnally wouldn't worry about me! I didn't know you were Zero and I didn't want you two worrying that Zero would kill me!" Suzaku snapped back quickly, trying to remain strong on his stance in this argument. "And you never told me about you being Zero either, so you can't argue that if I had said something you could have made sure I wasn't hurt!"

"Fine, I'll give you that one," He said flatly. Though he said he accepted that argument, something in Suzaku's gut told him that Lelouch really didn't think he was right in that point. "Now let's discuss your courtship of my older sister, Euphemia. You became her knight, so clearly you had some sort of interaction before that. Plus there was the command she issued to you to love her and how she came to stop you when I gave you the Geass command to live so as to keep us both from dying. And, the real kicker," He laughed harshly, "being how you reacted when she was shot. Clearly you weren't as dedicated as you like to pretend to be and you're just arguing with me to give me grief."

"Lelouch, it wasn't like that," Suzaku said softly, trying to think of a way to explain everything. There had never been a romantic relationship between he and Euphemia, at least on his end, but he had to admit that Lelouch raised a few good points. He stayed silent, trying to think of how to explain things, while Lelouch rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Next point is how you eagerly handed me over to Charles for the brain-drain and then over to Lloyd for my cat-boy transformation," Lelouch said in that same dead tone of voice. Suzaku glared a bit, knowing that he could fight this one.

"You were a criminal, Lelouch! You killed tons of innocent people, your Geass turned Euphemia in to a monster, and it wasn't even like you were truly doing it to free Japan! It was all for your own selfish reasons!" He retorted sternly. The other growled and ran his fingers through his ebony locks, in hopes of calming himself back down. "And now you're reacting like this because you don't want to hear the truth!"

"That wasn't the only reason I did this! I also did this to create a world you and Nunnally could be safe and happy in!" He snapped back, causing the other's jade orbs to widen a smidgen in shock. Lelouch let out a small sigh and flopped down on the edge of the bed again, resting his head back in his hands. "Did I want to make my Father pay for not protecting my mother and then abandoning Nunnally and I in a foreign land? Yes, I did, but I also wanted to create a peaceful place where Nunnally would be unafraid to open her eyes and you would not have to become a martyr. Even if in the process I had to lose everything about myself, soil my hands in the blood of my relatives and my fellow Britannians, and even if it came to me giving my own life, it didn't matter if I could just create a safe place for you and Nunnally. A world free of hate and discrimination, a world free of crime and suffering and war and pain, was all worth everything I had, everything I was, as long as it meant that the two of you would be okay. That was why I did all of this." His voice grew softer, meeker, as he spoke.

"But why?" Suzaku whispered softly, not really expecting an answer.

"Because you two were the only people I truly held dear in this world. Though, by what happened after you learned the truth, I already know that the same can't be said of you," He said in a voice that was riddled with exhaustion that only came to those with far too many years under their belts and too much heartache stilling the beats in their chests. "You handed me over to the Britannian military eagerly, despite seeing what they'd done to other people that had come before me. Even with that knowledge, knowing that I may very well end up dead and left in a shallow grave or tossed down a ditch, you still gave them to me without a second thought. And why? Because it was your orders." A silence fell between them before Lelouch shifted his hands, one covering his eyes and the other sweeping toward the door. "Just… Please just go away for a while. I need silence to calm my growing headache."

Emerald spheres shifted between the door and the other figure, noting the almost invisible shaking of the frail shoulders. He slowly approached, slipping his hands along the other male's sides and leaning in, brushing his lips against his forehead. "I can't leave you alone while you're crying and you know it," He whispered softly, reaching one hand up and slowly moving the other's hand away from his eyes. He was met with watery violet orbs that looked so broken, so sorrowful, that he felt his own heart break a little. "Please don't cry, Lulu," He mumbled, hoping the pet name would cheer him back up a little bit before leaning in and lightly kissing him. He waited a moment, watching the other's eyes fall shut, before he pressed in a little deeper.

"You're such a jerk sometimes," Lelouch mumbled when Suzaku pulled away, making the tanned male laugh lightly. Suzaku leaned in and kissed him again, a little more heated this time, and smiled when he was awarded with a small groan from his partner. "You owe me big time for everything you've put me though. You can start right now."

"Of course, Your Highness," He whispered softly, easing up a little more and slipping his hands up Lelouch's thighs. Suzaku moaned as he reached the other's rear, finally understanding why his little prince was so fond of skin tight clothes. He moved Lelouch higher up on the bed, still kissing him, and then slipped his tongue in. He relished in the warmth of the other's mouth, listening to their groans as their tongues brushed against one another. He pulled away slowly, instead opting to kiss a little path from the corner of Lelouch's mouth to his pale collarbone. His tongue flicked out here and there, just to get a rise out of the other.

"No… Too similar," Lelouch mumbled softly, pushing one hand against Suzaku's shoulder to get him to ease up. The other did so, tilting his head in confusion at the lightly panting mass beneath him. "It's too much like earlier. I'm going to try something different so take off your shirt and lie on your back." He mumbled, his tone still as regal as ever despite their activities. The curly topped male had to laugh at this before doing at he was told.

Lelouch got up, resting on Suzaku's hips and leaned in, kissing along Suzaku's neck and leaving a few dark marks. He did this mostly because the other let out some very delightful noises when he was bitten a little bit rougher. The inky haired rebellion leader put this down as a notch in the "Suzaku is part masochist" folder in the back of his mind for later reference.

He moved down lower, his tongue lapping at one dusky nipple. The hiss the other let out was a reward that made Lelouch smirk devilishly, before he began nipping and teasing it with his teeth. He made sure to give it a particularly painful nibble, making Suzaku gasp and shift a bit. "That sounded like a rather pleased noise to me," Lelouch teased with a small smirk, sitting back up to look at the other. Suzaku was beginning to flush, his eyes were hooded, and his hair was a little messy from him shifting against the bed. Despite this, however, Lelouch realized that there was still a much more masculine appeal to it than Lelouch could ever dream his expressions were, condemning him to a life as the uke of this relationship. "Such is life, though, I guess."

"What?" Suzaku mumbled lowly, an eyebrow raised in question. Lelouch merely chuckled and shook his head, shifting a bit and pressing one hand to the other's groin. "D-Don't do that!" Suzaku yelped in surprise. Lelouch merely smirked back in response, resettling again so that his head was level with Suzaku's stomach. He placed a small kiss to his naval before his fingers worked on opening the other's pants up, pressing them down his hips with his boxers in one move. He waited until he'd gotten them dropped to the floor before turning his attention to his nude partner, whose shaft was standing at attention for him. Lelouch resisted the urge to salute at it, knowing that would only make Suzaku want to stop. "What are you going to do?" He heard the other mumble lowly.

"Why don't you just relax and enjoy what's going on? Live in the moment? He whispered with a smirk before leaning down and taking an experimental lick at the head of the other's erection. He was answered with a large gasp and arch. He then took as much as could in to his mouth, making sure to pin the other's hips down by resting one arm across his hips. He may not have been very strong but he knew that this would be enough to keep Suzaku from bucking up needlessly.

He made sure to move sporadically, shifting between fast and slow whenever he wanted to. He delighted in the noises he was able to get out of Suzaku, his own arousal peeking up at the guttural sounds. He kept going, surprised at how long Suzaku was lasting, but suddenly yanked back after assuring himself he had coated the other's arousal in quite a bit of saliva. "What… are you…. doing now?" Suzaku huffed out, vert orbs narrowed a bit.

"Oh settle down, you big baby," Lelouch said sternly as he shimmied out of his own pants and briefs. He then crawled back on top of Suzaku, resting so that his rear was pressed back against Suzaku's pulsing member. He grinned wider at the low groan and soft curses the other uttered in Japanese. "Do you want it?"

"More than I should," He whispered back, not realizing that he was making Lelouch want t that much more as well. With a small nod, Lelouch lifted his hips, leaned back, and pressed down slowly, wincing a little bit as Suzaku filled him up. "Does it hurt?" He asked worriedly.

"No, it's just a little sore," He huffed out as well, beginning to pant a little. He began to move slowly, resting his hands on Suzaku's chest as leverage. The other rested his hands on his hips, helping to guide his movements. Lelouch groaned loudly, feeling the spot from before getting hit, and shifted to move at that angle perfect. He let out short gasps of delight as he made sure to strike that same spot over and over, letting out a shrill cry when one of Suzaku's hands slipped from his hips to brush against his arousal. "Su… Uhn… Suzaku… That feels great," He huffed out, his ride becoming a little rougher and enjoyable as Suzaku bucked up to meet him as he came down, both eager to reach completion.

It didn't take too much longer for them, considering Lelouch had worked Suzaku up and Suzaku was taunting Lelouch to the same spot. Suzaku noticed this time that Lelouch's ears flattened to his skull and that his tail fluffed out a little bit. Lelouch laid there, head pressed to Suzaku's chest, panting frantically, while the other tugged up the covers and stroked his hair. Suzaku stared lightly scratching behind one ear and he let out a mix between a purr and groan of approval. "I'll go get Nunnally back so please promise not to hate me for the rest of our lives," Suzaku mumbled softly.

"I wouldn't be able to hate you, whether you go get Nunnally or not," Lelouch said softly, looking up at him worriedly. He knew Suzaku had the Geass on him but some situations probably wouldn't be escapable, even with the command in place. "Just… Don't just do this because you feel like you have to. And take someone with you."

"No, I can do this alone, Lelouch," Suzaku said sternly. Lelouch growled lowly, ears lowering a little bit, and a verbal fight began between the pair.

Meanwhile, Cici sat outside against the door, eating another box of pizza and eavesdropping on the whole thing.

…

Lelouch had been unable to convince Suzaku to see reason so the other had decided to leave by himself the next morning to get his boyfriend's (since Lelouch changed his mind about dumping him, though he was rethinking it given Suzaku begin so damn stubborn over the current situation) little sister. "It'll be easier to travel if I don't have anyone else with me," Suzaku had said gently. Currently, Lelouch stood in his Zero uniform (his tail wrapped around his waist on the inside) as Suzaku readied to get into the Lancelot. "Be careful," He said sternly, thankful that the only ones present were Gino, Kallen and Cici.

"I'll do my best," He said gently before heading up on the cord to the cockpit. He perked up a bit when he saw his mother standing off in the distance, watching him. She mouthed something and he blinked, reading her lips quickly.

"Watashi no daijina musuko chūi shite kudasai," She had mouthed to him in Japanese. He blinked, eyes wide as the translation sunk in. "Be careful my precious son." She had said. He nodded mutely before slipping into the cockpit and heading off in the bright sunrise to complete his task.

Rin watched him go, forest green eyes filled with concern.

_I will not fall  
Won't let it go.  
We will be free  
When it ends. – __What Have You Done_ by Within Temptation

End

So this chapter was shorter and had no bonus story… Mostly because I didn't have time to write. I had to do a bunch of stuff on Saturday because my family was having a Halloween party that night, Sunday I had to clean up the aftermath of the party and then my friend had to take her sister trick or treating so I tagged along because free candy is just too delightful to pass up on. I also don't know how accurate that Japanese is because I used google translate; if it's incorrect and you know the proper phrasing for what Rin said, please send me a message so I can fix it~! And the lyrics at the end come from something Magician Girl Mirani mentioned in her review; it wasn't in your request, but I like the song and decided to include it~! Hope you don't mind~! But, anyway, I've updated my profile with some more info on what's going on with my updates and upcoming fics so check it out. Read, review and see you next chapter~!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. I do own the plot. All songs used belong to their respective artists. I would like to forewarn you all; I have a slight soft spot of Tohdoh. I think he's awesome, so please don't be too annoyed that he plays a major role this chapter. Also, I hope you all brought a tissue box because I brought my metal suit of armor; something tells me this chapter is going to get me in a lot of trouble.

_The pretense for my existence  
Can't be shaken away.  
I fear my weak heart vanishing  
And the decay that is progressing.  
The strength and will to stop it,  
Being just born, I do not have that.  
You're greatly distressed  
Expression comes to mind. – __The Disappearance of Hatsune Miku_ by Hatsune Miku

Chapter Seven

"Honestly, I can't see why someone like you feels the need to do what you do," An annoyed voice seethed lowly, earning a small glare from a pair of emerald orbs. The other continued on, unperturbed by the look. "You are the only daughter of the Sumeragi clan, the eldest child, with a rich family heritage and a grand future ahead of you. In yet you still feel the need to travel along the city streets starting fights with a bunch of female ruffians? It's completely ridiculous."

"I don't remember asking your opinion on my affairs, Kururugi," She hissed back evenly, standing from her seat. She ignored the soft request to sit again her mother, a weak and timid woman by nature, attempted to get out. She glared at the individual looking at her with an annoyed scowl though his brown eyes were filled with mockery. "And the only reason you have been told is because my parents want me to settle down with you. Personally, I'd prefer a man who actually has a pair of balls than a spineless coward like you!" She then turned on her heels and, having originally planned to make a graceful exit, tripped on the painfully long silk robe of her kimono and face planted rather lamely. She heard the man snicker lightly while her face changed hues to the tint of a ripe tomato.

"Rin, darling, are you alright?" Her mother gasped worriedly, leaning over to examine her better. She yanked away from her mother's arms, gathered up her kimono to the point that her knees were exposed, and stood back up, leering at her grinning fiancé. "My word, Rin, that is highly inappropriate! Put your kimono back down this instance!" She shrieked in horror, eyes the size of a bowl.

"I will not censor myself for the likes of this pathetic excuse of a man! He may as well being a little boy in an adult's body," She sneered, a small smirk turning up her lips at the glare she was answered with. She cocked her head to one side, the chopsticks holding her hair up in a bun falling loose. "What's the matter, Genbu-Kun? Does the truth sting a little too much for you?" She mused proudly. He regarded her with that glare still in place before opening his mouth to answer.

"In all honesty, I was just thinking that it is pathetic that you're having a hissy fit just because your little Britannian friend has settled down instead of continuing with the sort of immature activities you seem so fond of still participating in," He said coldly. She flinched, the memory of a pale skinned woman with long ebony hair and fierce cerulean orbs filling her mind. She clenched her fist and growled, snatching up a chopstick. She snapped the end so that it was sharper and threw it at him, cutting his cheek before it stuck into the wall behind him. They stared at one another in silence for a second, one in shock and the other in loathing.

Rin then calmly smoothed her hair, which had fallen in her face, back out of the way and sighed lightly. "Please come by for tea again soon, Genbu-Kun. Next time I'll make sure not to miss," She said cheerfully before dropping her kimono and walking away, finally making the elegant escape she'd wanted.

In the hall she was greeted by Kyoshiro Tohdoh, a close family friend. "You shouldn't be so cruel and brash with your fiancé, Lady Sumeragi," He said politely. He had become her personal escort recently, her parents hoping he would detain her to her room though she would simply sneak off when he wasn't on duty.

"We've been through this, Tohdoh; you'll call me Rin as you always have and I will not discuss business with you directly after a meeting," She said calmly as she brushed past him and began the walk down the long corridors of her home. Her younger brother, only two years separating them, was most likely at a meeting with his own fiancé right now. He was lucky, like all men were; he could be however he wanted to be at the meeting yet his bride-to-be would be expected to be sweet and delicate and soft-spoken. Just like all women in the world around her; just like her mother. "And you know I have a strong distaste for those business meetings, so the likelihood of me really discussing them with you any time soon is rather slim."

"Lady Sumeragi," He began before a glare from him made him jerk a little bit, "or, I mean, Rin, you really do need to settle down a little. I know that you do not have a fondness for how Kururugi Genbu addresses you and your personal… Hobbies, but that does not mean you need to be so harsh all the time. If something happens to you after marriage, I will not be there to watch after you anymore." She paused and looked at him calmly, regarding him calmly. His face still held some baby fat, despite him being of the age of eighteen. He was lanky yet more coordinated than most and he had a small amount of definition, his dark brown hair cut just above his shoulders and his black eyes filled with well placed concern. She wished, briefly, that she was engaged to Tohdoh instead; he was only a year older than her and she could be herself with him. In yet, instead, she was going to be forced to be married to a man with a whole decade of experiences above her and would never get to enjoy life again. She would be expected to have his child and settle into the role of perfect mother and wife right after she graduated high school and was married off to him; Tohdoh would not have demanded such ludicrous things of her.

"You leave for the military in two weeks, correct?" She asked gently. She would be graduating from an all-girl's charm school in five weeks, meaning she'd have three weeks to dedicate completely to her Yanki sisters. He nodded silently.

"I will begin my two-year basic training and then be allowed to return until the Prime Minister decides where my talents would be best placed," He agreed calmly. She nodded wordlessly and turned her attention back to walking down the hall. "I hope to visit you again when I return."

"If I'm still here," She said flatly. She glanced over her shoulder at him, a little proud of the stunned look on his face. "I don't want to marry that Kururugi buffoon so maybe I'll just run away before the wedding. I'll go Britannia; Marianne will take care of me without a second thought. Anything is better than marrying a man I feel no real love for."

"Rin, you shouldn't be so difficult. Even if you don't love him, you may grow fond of his company. Just give him some time," He said in a delicate tone. She flinched and growled, stopping and turning to face him angrily.

"Oh course you feel that way! Your family isn't forcing you to marry a stranger; and even if they did, you wouldn't have to play pretend! I will not become a fake little doll like my mother or aunts or any of the women I know that are married!" She declared angrily before running off, snatching up her kimono to avoid tripping again. She darted to her room and locked the door, ignoring the fact that she had heard Tohdoh pursuing her. She rummaged through a drawer, pulling out her long black coat and other gear. She tied her hair up in a tight ponytail, tied a bright blue headband to her forehead, tied down her chest with white gauze and tape, slipped on the black pants and tied them with a blue length of cloth to her hips. She finally slipped on her coat, pulled out a large steel pole and slipped out through the window.

After a short run through the family garden and a quick hop over the fence, she was on her way to her Yanki gang's hang out. A few of the others were there and delivered the news to her that a fight was taking place. Rin was among the best of the whole group, while the girls who stayed were new comers. After getting the location, Rin aimed to head out to the fight, staying close to the alleyways. She was halted, however, when a strong, calloused hand seized up her forearm and tugged. She turned, aiming to strike the assailant, only to find it was Tohdoh!

"Did you think you could get away from me that easily, Rin?" He asked softly, panting slightly. She blinked a few times and stopped, merely waiting for him to regain a more even breathing pattern. "I know you don't want to marry that man, Rin, and I really don't blame you. He can't fight, he has a sharp tongue, he is ignorant to respecting others and he is much older than you. But please, Rin, will you make a deal with me?"

"And what deal might that be?" She asked suspiciously, eyes watching him as he slowly released her arm and stood a little straighter. He looked at her gently, a small smile turning up his lips.

"Toss this life aside and marry that man. Give it until I return and if you are miserable with this Genbu Kururugi, I will take you away to a place you can be happy," He said. She looked at him with a small scowl and then poked his chest, leaning forward and looking up with her head cocked.

"And what if I've been forced to have a child by him? May I take that child with us as well?" She asked. He blinked, a little bewildered by this.

"Would you want to take the child with you if it was his?" He asked in sheer shock. She raised an eyebrow at him before scoffing softly.

"Tohdoh, I'm not going to hate my child because half of its blood comes from an idiot! I'll just make sure to raise the child and have the most influence, so it'll be a good person!" She said with a grin before letting her now chuckling bodyguard lead her home.

Two weeks later, Tohdoh left and she married Genbu Kururugi. She grew fond of him and, after two years of marriage, conceived their first child; her precious little Suzaku.

…

"Thank you, Tohdoh," She said softly, smiling at him as he piloted the knightmare frame. They were currently in an Akatsuki Jikisan type knightmare frame, equipped with the air glide wing system present on the Lancelot Albion and Shinkiro. With the permission of Zero (meaning that she and Lelouch agreed that someone had to save Suzaku from his stupidity, and Zero should stay there to tend to business with the troops after his long absence) she had taken her old friend with her. "I always have been quite the handful, haven't I?" She hummed, leaning back against the back of his seat.

"It appears that Suzaku is following in your footsteps; you must be so proud," He said dryly, earning him another round of laughter from the woman. He smiled a little to himself as well, remembering their carefree days as children.

"Not really, if you can believe it," She said quietly. An awkward silence fell between them for a good length of time in which neither tried to say anything. "He really hates me, Tohdoh. He said as much to me the night before he left. And now here he is, risking his neck to save his little boyfriend's little sister. Sometimes I think I should have kept him with me; at least that way I could have used my fists to teach him a lesson if I had to."

"I doubt he hates you, and I'll pretend I didn't hear some of those last few comments you made," He said calmly. She blushed a little when she realized what exactly she had let slip. It was a good thing she knew Tohdoh would never let anything she said to him be repeated to anyone; they never told one another's secrets. "He may feel a little abandoned but I doubt he hates you. Give him time to clear his head and I'm sure things will be fine."

"I don't have that much time, Tohdoh," She said softly, looking down at her hands. She knew what had to be done and she was the only one who could do it. "Britannia will want blood, and I sure as Hell will not let them have his. I have lived a good life; I have two wonderful sons that I wouldn't trade for a thing. And, perhaps with my lose, Japan can be free again."

"I don't think it would work that way, Rin," He said gently. She stayed silent, resisting the urge to argue with him. They had both grown up some since the days before her graduation. She had learned to control her temper and hold her tongue when it was most convenient; he had learned to be more outspoken and take charge more of situations. Though she would never admit it, she really did like seeing this strength that he had developed through the military. "But I will not deviate from the plan you've come up with, despite my misgivings toward it."

"I would like to make one final request of you," She said gently. She fiddled with the wraps around her chest; for this little mission, she had found dressing in her old Yanki clothes was appropriate. The only changes to it was that she had swapped out her blue headband for a white one with a red dot in the center to represent her homeland and instead of a steel pole she was carrying a currently sheathed katana. "After you leave, please take good care of Lindo and Suzaku. You're the closest thing to a father Suzaku ever had and Lindo needs someone he can respect and look up to; he's at that age all boys hit, you know?" She giggled, remembering when Suzaku had been seven. After a few arguments with him in regards to his need for an attitude adjustment, she had asked Tohdoh if he'd like a job teaching her son the way of the sword, hoping that a male role model would help Suzaku straighten out (since she could not say his father was a very good role model).

Tohdoh paused and took a deep breath, the reality of it sinking in. He was basically taking one of his best, and only remaining, friends to her death at her request. He wondered if perhaps suicidal tendencies were simply a family characteristic she had passed on to her oldest son rather than his response to his accidental assassination of his father. "I will do that for you," He said softly before looking out at the approaching lights of Britannia. He then took another deep breath, solidifying his resolve and preparing for the worst. "In case this does not end the way either of us intended, I would like to speak freely with you for a moment."

"Of course," She said, sounding a little surprised. She then giggled quietly. "You can always been honest and free with me, Tohdoh. I don't expect you to be any less human than I."

"I just felt that I should be honest about my feelings, Rin," He said carefully. He heard her make a small noise of surprise but didn't tell him to stop. "I have always had a love for you, Rin, in a romantic form. Ever since the day I first met you, when you were only six years old, and you jumped right in to the Sumeragi family pond after your mother warned you against ruining your brand new kimono." They both chuckled at the shared memory of Rin's first act of rebellion. It had been their first meeting and Rin, not liking being dolled up even as a child, had proudly hopped into the large pond after bowing to Tohdoh, frightening the fish and soiling the pale pink and white kimono with the scent of murky water and scaly skin. "I returned at your request seven years after Suzaku was born because I wanted to be near you again. I missed listening to everything about you; your bizarre conspiracy theories, your brash comments, your loud laughter, and your inner and outer strength. No woman I have come across has ever had the kind of effect or control over me that you do, Rin. Genbu Kururugi was certainly a lucky man to have had your hand and heart."

"You are right that he had my hand, but not all of my heart," She said gently, a rueful smiling turning up her lips. It seemed funny how being honest toward the end was so much easier than she had been hoping it would be. "It is true that I developed a small sum of affection for him, but I never loved him as fully as I could have. I guess we are both fools, for we both are only telling one another now because we don't expect to make it out of this alive."

"And if, by the good graces of whatever being watches over us, we should both survive this war I would like to spend the rest of my days with you," He said gently, perking up when he saw a few military knightmares below fast approaching, their guns aimed at the flying knightmare above.

Rin smirked as she stood, peering over his shoulder at the oncoming enemies while his proposal floated about in her head. "I think I'd like that a lot more than I should, Tohdoh," She mused lightly. A spark was lit in her gut, beginning to blossom into a fire as the thrill of combat, after so many years of only occasional bouts in a whorehouse, flared back to life inside her.

…

Suzaku sighed lightly, trying to think of what to do now. He had used the Lancelot Albion to get to Japan and then, after finding an abandoned building in the ghetto to hide it, had taken a plane to Pendragon. He knew that if he was captured they'd get Lancelot back and he didn't want that happening; The Black Knights would be more likely to find it first with it hidden. He had used the money in his Knights of Round account to get the ticket; he was surprised and concerned that his account wasn't closed and that no one seemed cautious of him. _'The Emperor must not have wanted to let on to the people that his knights aren't as loyal and obedient as he likes to let on,'_ He thought as he slipped toward the castle. He had memorized the guard shifts and knew where what sort of alarms and sensors were set up where past the castle gates.

He hopped over the gate and landed behind a tree, knowing that no cameras were set in that direction. Despite being the home of the royal family and the Emperor, the security was rather lacking; mostly because if there was any serious threat, the Knights of Round always handled it quite easily enough. He crept along the wall, staying down low and making sure to keep his eyes out for any guards.

"Hello, Suzaku," A cheerfully voice giggled as he made to sneak in through a window. He slipped and hit the ground inside with a dull thump and jerked up when he saw a family figure with short pink hair and usually blank red eyes. She walked over, clad in a dark blue bathrobe, and helped him back up. "I didn't think I'd be seeing you again so soon. How's your mother doing?"

"Anya?" He asked cautiously before he remembered what Cici and Rin had told him. Marianne vi Britannia, Lelouch's mother, had sent her soul into the young girl's body before she could die. "Or, rather, Marianne?" He corrected himself slowly. He was a little creped out by the bright, perky grin he received in return. Seeing a smile like that on the face Anya Alstreim just didn't look right to him.

"Yes, of course! So what are you doing here? I thought you went to help Lelouch and the Black Knights with the rebellion front?" She asked softly, beginning to walk away. She inclined with her head that he follow her as she headed back toward her room. He did so, remaining a few steps behind out of sheer nerves.

"I came here to get Nunnally, to take her back to Lelouch," He said calmly. She led him into her room, which resembled his own to a T aside for color scheme (hers being pink like her Knight of Round cape), and she gathered up her uniform, changing her outfit in the bathroom. She left the door cracked so they could continue to converse.

"Do you really think that is such a great idea? A militia location is not really a good spot for a princess with Nunnally's… attributes, if you catch my drift," She said delicately before exiting. The only thing missing from her uniform was her pink cape. "This little mission of yours was a terrible idea and I'm honestly surprised that Lelouch didn't try to stop you. No offense, but you've got your mother's ability to think forward. There were so many times that in combat she would run half cocked into something and end up getting knocked around quite a bit before becoming completely enraged and using said rage to fuel her victory. And yes, she was always victorious but honestly, a good strategy would have helped her from getting a lot of bad wounds. And then guess who got stuck treating them, since she refused to let anyone else help her?" She huffed with an annoyed scowl, plucking her cape of a chair and tossing it over her shoulders.

"Um, sorry?" He mumbled nervously. She sighed, looping the gold rope over her to keep the cape in place. She shook her head and looked at him with that small smile of hers in place.

"It's alright, but leave Nunnally's well being to me. I'll make sure she is taken care of as long as you watch after Lelouch," She said gently.

"Me watch after Lelouch? He doesn't need me to baby sit him," He said in slight surprise. Instead, the pink haired woman merely giggled and shook her head lightly at him.

"Lelouch needs to be taken care of more than either of you seems willing to admit. It's kind of funny to me, actually," She giggled lightly. She then walked over and gently poked his nose, making him blink in confusion. "Lelouch is my son and I love him, and I know you love him too, so please take good care of him. He's my precious little son, even if I can't always be there to protect him."

He blinked a bit and then nodded and gave her a small smile. He opened his mouth to speak again when they heard a loud hissing sound on the loud speakers in the hallway. "Attention Knights of Round! There is a rebel knightmare frame in the sky, most likely planning an attack! It is a lone unit but from what our sources say, it appears to be piloted by Tohdoh Kyoshiro of the Black Knights! We demand that you come and fight, in case of reinforcements!" The panicked voice of a guard called. Suzaku's eyes widened while Marianne growled and glared at him.

"That's probably your mother coming here to make sure you don't get yourself killed!" She snapped before throwing her hands in the arm. She turned for a minute and then turned back, her hands falling to her hips in a very Lelouch-like fashion. "Do you see why I stress the matter of making a plan before you act? You are so much like your mother it's annoying!" She sighed afterwards, raising one hand to her forehead. She mumbled something to herself in French and then, as if wanting to make sure Suzaku knew what point she was aiming for, she looked at him pointedly. "I am getting way too old to be dealing with this! Sneak back out there and meet up with them! I'm not going to be able to help you; I have to act like I'm with Britannia on this." She said sternly, indicating the door.

Suzaku rushed out, making sure to be careful while he tried to figure out why his mother had come searching for him; or, more correctly, why Tohdoh sensei had agreed to help her get here! He remembered Tohdoh mentioning they'd known each other since childhood but he doubted that was cause enough to help her on a dangerous life threatening rescue mission. He growled lowly as he rushed to the knightmare hangar upon hearing a loud shriek of terror.

He was greeted by the sight of an Akatsuki Jikisan shooting at unmanned knightmare frames, keeping anyone from getting into them and rendering them useless while a large group of soldiers, brandishing knives and swords instead of guns, had surrounded someone. He heard another cry and watched an eruption of blood as one soldier was decapitated with expert precision. He saw his mother for a second before she jumped off the dead figures shoulders, knocking it to the ground after using it as leverage to flip in the air. She landed on her feet a few feet from him and glanced up through her bangs, the soldiers and Suzaku both too stunned to do anything right away. "You had better be ready for a time-out and no dessert for a few weeks when we get out of here, Suzaku Kururugi," She said lowly before turning on her heels and charging back at the soldiers.

"I guess now we know where you got all your physical abilities from, don't we, Kururugi?" A female voice asked coolly. He whipped around lightening fast to see a smirking Nonette Enneagram standing a few feet behind him. He scowled lightly, glaring back at her. "So what did you come back here for? To pick something up?"

"I just came by, thought I'd say hi, see if you wanted to play a little game with me," He said smoothly, taking up a fighting stance. Nonette glared at him a little more and he smirked at her, letting his ego take control for a little bit. "Of course, a woman of your age might throw out her hip if she played with a boy like me, right?"

"Oh, Kururugi," She laughed darkly, eyes narrowing to dangerous slits as she tossed off her cape, "you clearly haven't heard but there is a reason I am so well-regarded. I attended school with Princess Cornelia and I will only say this as a small side note; I am the only person she fears aside from the Emperor of Britannia." She moved quickly, her leg colliding with Suzaku's side before he had a chance to defend. He hit the ground and slid for a few beats, groan and grasping his side. She charged again, aiming to punch him, but he hopped back onto his feet and she made contract with the ground. She snarled and made a grab at his ankle, but he stomped on her hand. He stepped back a bit as she snarled at him lowly, glaring as she pushed herself up, using both hands despite the pain.

'_I think she may have cracked one of my ribs… Or at least bruised my side,'_ He thought with a small hiss, prodding at his side lightly with one hand. He swallowed hard as she cracked her knocks and grinned at him, knowing he was in pain. _'I really should have thought this through a little better.'_ He thought while taking a deep breath and taking on a defensive stance. "Is that the best you've got? I suffered worse from a puppy dog!" He spat out, trying to lure her back into striking. If he could just catch her he knew he could take her down with the greatest of ease; it was just the matter of goading her into lashing out again.

"Oh, you really do enjoy the pain, don't you, little brat?" She snarled before lashing back out again at him. When she aimed to bring her foot down his head, he caught her ankle, pulled her toward him and landed a blow right in her gut. She let out a hiss and before she could recover, he caught her once in the jaw and sent her back to the ground again. She spat a small glob of blood a few feet away and stayed there, hunched over, coughing for a little bit. "You are going to pay for that." She swore softly, her voice faint but strong enough to reach him.

"Somehow I doubt that," He said, panting a little bit. He had sparred with Gino and Anya every day he'd been here to keep up his skills. He stepped back a bit more as she started to rise, knowing he had one move in specific that would get her out of his hair. He waited until he was a good distance away to started running, and then threw himself into the air and made sure to spin. The heel of his boot caught on the side of her face and sent her into a nearby desk with a loud clatter of materials and a small cry from her. He fell to his knees and perked up, looking up and waiting for her to get back up. He sighed in relief when she didn't move, then winced as he stood and pain shot through him from his side.

He turned his head slightly and saw that his mother had made fast work of the armed soldiers. She was currently using one of their uniforms to wipe the blood from her blade, glancing up and flashing him a small smirk. "Well that was less fun than I thought it would have been," She said as she stood, slipping her sword back where it belonged. She perked up when footsteps approached, a small scowl coming to her lips. "It sounds like they've got some reinforcements coming." She said before darting to a nearby knightmare frame. She looked it up and down before she smirked and headed up.

"Mother, what are you going to do?" Suzaku snapped frantically, darting over and stopping by the feet of the frame. She looked down at him with a small scowl in place.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going to take those silly little soldiers out. Now go get in the Akatsuki Jikisan with Tohdoh," She said while rolling her eyes and indicating with the brush of one hand the robot currently firing at fleeing soldiers, since almost all the knightmare frames were useless. "It was a good effort on your part to try doing this but you really should have come up with a better strategy. You can take this as a lesson for next time."

"What? And who are you to talk?" He called back with a small spark of anger. He then looked back toward the other knightmare frame being piloted by his old teacher. "And we need to all get out of here! So get down from there so that he can leave with Tohdoh-Sensei!"

"Can't," She called back, leaning on the back of the chair with a bored expression on her lips. He raised an eyebrow and awaited her explanation. "The Akatsuki Jikisan can only carry two people in it at maximum. There wouldn't be enough room for all of us." She waved her hand in a circle, then stood back up straight and shrugged. "But I guess that's just how things go sometimes."

He blinked a bit, eyes widening and becoming a slightly lighter grin as he registered what she was saying. There would be no escape for her; she was going to create a distraction while he and Tohdoh made their escape in the only knightmare frame with the capability to do so. "No! Mother, this was my fault so I'll be the one to see it through to the very end!" He called quickly, frantic to stop her. She blinked a bit then gave him a little smile.

"And how would you do that without getting yourself killed?" She asked him gently. He clenched his fists and swallowed hard.

"Lelouch used his Geass on me with the command to live! I can't be ki-"

"Geass won't keep you from being shot to death by over thirty armed soldiers, Suzaku. And I am not going to let you take this knightmare frame and try to prove me wrong. You will not argue with me on this matter any longer," She said sternly. He glared and scowled, planting his feet and crossing his arms over his chest. He felt immature, having a temper tantrum in the middle of a life-or-death situation, but he couldn't help himself. She sighed and shook her head. "What am I going to do with you? Tohdoh, open the Akatsuki Jikisan!" She yelled out.

Tohdoh did as he was instructed and looked at Suzaku. "Hurry and get in here, Suzaku! We don't have much time!" He snapped, the urgency in his voice clear as day. Suzaku glared and turned his attention back to his mother, raising an eyebrow in challenge to get him in the large robot.

"You really love making things difficult for me, don't you?" She sighed, smacking her forehead. When she looked back at him, however, her left eye was tinted pink with the Geass symbol. He flinched and blinked, releasing sputtering noises as his body began to lift off the ground slowly. He looked at his mother as her eyes slowly shifted toward Tohdoh. After a few moments, he was just within the other male's reach. He snatched his wrist up and yanked him in, the effect of the Geass wearing off once the hatch closed on him. "Take good care of my little spoiled brats for me, Tohdoh. I really do love them." She said with a smile and salute before the hatch of her knightmare closed and it started up. She disappeared in a screech of tires as Tohdoh activated the wings and took off, exiting through a large hole he'd made using the gun of the knightmare frame when he'd been entering.

"We can't leave her behind, Tohdoh! She'll die if we leave her in there to fight!" He declared, looking on the monitors as a castle wall was blown out and the knightmare Rin had just pillaged rolled out, shooting at oncoming soldiers.

"Your mother knows what she's doing, Suzaku," He answered, his tone calm. Suzaku glared at him, preparing to snap at him, but fell silent when he saw the concern in his teacher's eyes. He swallowed hard and looked back on the monitors, watching as his mother fought the soldiers off. He perked up when he saw a large machine of white, black and gold heading downward from the air toward his mother. His eyes widened in horror.

"No! No, dear God, no! That's Knight of One, Bismarck Waldstein! She can't defeat him! She needs to look up and get away! Why won't she… Why? Run away!" He snapped frantically at the monitor, looking between the monitors and his teacher in sheer horror. He gulped and watched as the Galahad, as the knightmare frame was known, pulled the large sword it used from behind it and brought it down on his mother's unit.

The cockpit echoed with the sound of Suzaku's scream as he watched the large explosion that occurred, taking out a small portion of the palace with it.

End

Bonus Story: 9 Months, 12 Hours; and Still Counting

Rin sighed and leaned against her hospital bed, groaning lowly as she awaited the nurse to being her the squealing infant she had just pushed from her body. She rested an arm over her eyes and thought. "It's a boy!" The doctor had informed her delightedly before they whisked her son away to make sure he was okay. "Would you like us to call the father and tell him the good news?"

"No, I think he can just wait until I bring the little snot home to know what gender it is. But, if you would, please call the number I left with the secretary when I came in. He'll be here much faster than the father of the child," She had answered flatly. The number was for Tohdoh, who had returned a week before from his basic training. Her due date had been June ninth and she'd gone into labor at two in the afternoon. It was currently two in the morning on June tenth; her little bundle of joy had decided he wanted to take **12 fucking hours** to be born!

"Excuse me, Kururugi Rin?" A polite voice asked, the head of a black haired nurse appearing in the door way. The addressed moved her arm from her eyes and indicated with one hand for her to come in. The nurse smiled and entered, a blanketed object in her arms. "Here's your little boy. He's the picture of perfection, most likely thanks to those extra few hours he took to greet the world. Once your friend arrives, the doctor will come in to get the documents regarding his name and such filled out." She said as she walked closer. Rin sat up a little more, being careful since she was still sore, and carefully took the little thing into her arms. "Congratulations, by the way." She mused before she left, shutting the door quietly behind her.

"So this is what you look like, little pain in my ass," Rin said aloud once they were alone, looking down at her baby. He was wrapped in a blue blanket with a little blue hat on top of his head. She could see thin, wispy brown curls peeking out from beneath his little hat and he was staring up at her with wide emerald green orbs, only a small tint darker than her own. She smirked at him. "Well, at least you got all your looks from my side."

He made a little grunting noise and she giggled lightly at this. Holding his body and head with one arm, she moved one hand up and gently poked his noise with one finger. He made a little whining noise and she laughed at this, the vibrations of the noise making him shake a little. She laughed again and then perked up, blinking when she felt something clamp around her finger. She looked down to see that one of his little arms had gotten out from his blanket and now the little digits were wrapped snugly around her finger. She blinked a few times, and then gently smiled back.

It was another fifteen minutes before the door slid open and Tohdoh walked in, surprise alive on his face. She smiled up at him and nodded her head as a greeting. "How do you feel?" He asked as he walked in, settling into the seat next to her bed.

"Well, considering I just spent twelve hours trying to do what felt like pushing a watermelon through the nozzle of a soda bottle, I'm doing surprisingly well," She said calmly. She watched Tohdoh's eyes shift from her to the little infant blowing spit bubbles in her arm. "Oh, and that's Pima."

"Pima?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow. She merely snickered lightly, leaning down to lightly kiss the little baby's nose before answering him.

"Yup, Pima! It's the name I want to give him once the doctor comes in to take down his information," She said with that grin in place. Tohdoh knew better than to trust that she was thinking of something completely harmless; he had known her for fifteen years, after all. "It's an abbreviation for Pain-in-my-ass! It fits him, don't you think?"

"Rin, you cannot give your child such a terrible name! Especially considering that it's just supposed to be an acronym for something so hurtful!" He chided sternly. She took this moment to analyze him. His face had lost the baby fat, making it more defined and giving it a quality of strength she never expected to see in him. His eyes were a little bit more squinted from spending hours working in the sun, his muscles were more defined, and he seemed to be finally comfortable in his own skin. His voice had deepened a little more and he was much less of a push-over; the authoritive tone he took up with her was evidence of that.

"Well then what should I name him?" She asked bluntly.

"What names had you discussed with Kururugi Genbu?" He asked flatly. Rin fought back a smirk at how he called the other male by his full name instead simply his first or last name. She really found it comical that Tohdoh held such a strong dislike for the other man; especially considering he wasn't the one who had to marry him and then have sex with him to produce the little person currently in her arms.

"He was adamant about naming him Junior," She answered. They fell silent before looking down at the little infant. He looked up, blinking, until a large spit bubble he made popped. His eyes widened and he made a small scared noise, eyes beginning to water. "Oh come now, it was just your own spit! Tohdoh, there's a handkerchief in that black baby bag next to the bed. Can you hand it here?"

He did as she requested, handing it over calmly. She used it to carefully wipe away the dribble clouding up her little son's mouth, smiling when it was all cleared. She set the damp cloth on the bedside table, in case she needed it again soon. "How about the name Rai? It's strong and more dignified than Genbu Junior would be any day." Tohdoh suggested calmly.

"No, it'll make me think of that game. You know, that once called Pocket Monsters Gold version? It'll make me think of that stupid yellow dog you have to chase all around to try and catch. Oh, I beat that game, by the way! Took me forever to do!" She said cheerfully. Tohdoh sweat-dropped at this and released a small sigh. Rin glared back in response. "What else was I supposed to do with this little bun in my oven? Exercise or training could have caused me to miscarry!" The little baby let out a loud, energetic squeal at his mother's voice. "See? Pima agrees with me!"

"Stop calling him Pima or you'll confuse him! That isn't going to be his name; I simply will not allow it!" Tohdoh snapped calmly, glaring back at her a little bit.

The infant let out a small noise that sounded almost like a loud 'Whoa!' at the older man's words. Rin blinked then sighed and leaned back against the bed. Suddenly the little baby let out a loud wail causing both adults to jerk up.

"Oh, he must be hungry!" She said before unbuttoning her top a bit. She heard Tohdoh let out a very loud and undignified yelp before turning away, and giggled at him. "Does breast feeding make you uncomfortable, Tohdoh?" She asked. She was, however, relieved when her baby latched right on and started suckling frantically. She had heard that sometimes babies had trouble with nursing from their mother's and would have to be fed with a bottle; lots of doctors also claimed that breast feeding was an essential part for an infant to bond with their parent and if they didn't breast feed they would end up being emotionally estranged or something.

"I just find it slightly inappropriate for a man who is not your husband to see you feeding your child like that," He said quickly.

"You're such a fuddy-duddy, Tohdoh," She snickered lightly. He made a small noise of displeasure but she focused her attention back to her nursing infant. "And he still need a better name, since Tohdoh doesn't seem to like my choice for you." She whispered, making sure to be loud enough for the young man to hear her.

He sighed lightly as this. "I just want you to pick a good name that you won't regret later," He said. He was currently staring up at the ceiling, trying to help brain storm names for the child. "How about Shigure?"

"It'll make me think of Fruits Basket, and I hated the end of that series," She grumbled to herself. She then yawned lightly, beginning to feel sleepy, and silently wondered what was taking the doctor so long. "Try again."

"How about Kyo? Or maybe Yuki?" He asked with a small sigh.

"Are you just pulling names from Fruits Basket now?" She asked in a sarcastic, uppity tone.

"How about the name Ryou? That's different, short and seems like it could fit," He suggested calmly. Rin made a small noise in the back of her throat, causing him to let out another sigh. "What's wrong with that name?"

"No names with the letters G or R in the first letter; I don't want him having any initial other than the K in common with Genbu and I," She said bluntly. Tohdoh rolled his eyes at this and she made another noise of displeasure. "I know you just rolled your eyes at me, Kyoshiro Tohdoh, and if you do it again I swear I'll make sure they roll right out of your head!" She warned darkly.

"How about Sage or Kenta?" He suggested.

"Nope. Sage is too dull and Kenta is overused," She mused.

"What about Sasuke? Or maybe Simon?"

"Do I look like a fan of ninjas and giant robots to you?" She asked flatly.

"You'd think that an ex-Yanki would be less picky about her child's name," Tohdoh sighed lightly at her. He then chuckled warmly at a thought. "Just imagine what the girls you used to associate with would say if they stumbled upon you like this? My, the great Phoenix of Blood has fallen from great heights to the equivalent of Yanki squalor; being married to the Prime Minister of Japan and fretting over what to name her child."

"That's it!" Rin gasped happily, smiling brightly at her old friend. He blinked a few times, confusion clear on his features. He blinked a few times then smirked, catching on to what she was implying. "I think I've been well-behaved for a little too long, don't you think?" She then looked down at her little infant, whom had ceased his suckling and was starting to doze off. "Hey, baby, I'm going to give you a good name, despite the nine months and twelve hours of Hell you've put me through. But you still have plenty of time to make it up to me and grow into that name, okay?" She giggled happily, knowing that she was going to be a doting mother as soon as she left the hospital.

Twenty minutes later, when the doctor arrived, he was informed to put the name Kururugi Suzaku on the birth certificate.

…

'_I should have named you Pima, you ungrateful little bastard,'_ Rin thought as she slipped a card board box under her bed. Inside were the few personal belongings she had saved before taking up to life as a pregnant widow on the lamb. She had managed to save a small photo album and put her most precious pictures inside. There was a picture of her and Suzaku after she had slept, recovering from the labor, and a few other pictures. Some of the pictures were her and Suzaku, while others were her and Lindo, and even others were her with various groups; her parents and brother, Genbu, Tohdoh, her old Yanki crew, Cici and Marianne. All of them had a sweet spot in her heart, but her favorites were the ones of her and her little boys. She sighed and got up, turning to the silhouette in her doorway. "Zero said that we could go and stop Suzaku; he said he didn't realize what he was planning to do and wants us to stop him from getting himself killed."

"Do you have a plan other than that?" Tohdoh asked. She turned away, making sure Lindo was tucked into his bed nice and safe, and picked up a small black bag before heading out. Suzaku had only left about three hours ago so as long as they hurried they would catch up to him in no time.

"Not specifically. Since this is an important mission we'll have to make sure to be stealthy and careful," She said calmly. She shifted the strap a little on her shoulder as she followed Tohdoh toward a knightmare frame and made a face. "I really hate giant robots. I mean, sure, we Japanese have a lot of giant robot animes but did Britannia really have to go as far as making real life replicas of our weapons in our television programs? I mean, seriously? Anyway, what the Hell is this thing called?"

"It's an Akatsuki Jikisan unit. It's been upgraded with the air glide wing system so we'll be able to get across the ocean with it," He explained calmly. She looked at the robot, then sighed and shook her head. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes," She said while glaring at the metal monstrosity, "Tohdoh. I wish I had never listened to you; I should have named Suzaku Pima because that's all he's ever been! He's always such a pain in my a-"

"It's best if we get going, don't you think?" He asked quickly. She huffed but followed him, deciding she could rant after they got her stupid oldest kid back where he belonged.

End

Final notes before I go to my bomb shelter to avoid getting killed; this chapter was short but not as short as some, which is good. Also, not too much fighting because I suck at fighting sequences, but I hope what I did was good enough. I have my orientation for my first job at 3 today, so I've been kinda busy (hence the length). But I included a bonus story this time! The name's Sasuke and Simon in the bonus are a joke; Suzaku's English voice actor is also the voice of Sasuke Uchiha (in both Naruto and Naruto Shippuden) and Simon the Digger in Gurren Lagaan and I wanted to make a pun about that so bad… And now I have! (Watch out for a Bleach joke; you're next, Lelouch!) Plus, I have a sweet spot for Tohdoh and think he would have been a better Daddy to Suzaku so that's why he's in this chapter a lot. So… Yeah! Please tell me what you think and please don't wish bodily harm upon me!


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. I do own the plot. All songs used belong to their respective artists. I also think you're all starting to notice I love me the Japanese (specifically Vocaloid) music, yah?

_If you ever forget about me  
I won't lose this feeling.  
Ten years, a hundred years from now on.  
You are my beloved. – __A Hundred Years From Now_ by Megurine Luka and Len Kagamine

Chapter Eight

If he could say nothing else, it was that Suzaku certainly knew the right moments to have his silent breakdowns. Lelouch had been in the middle of a meeting being held in his private quarters (though he did share them with Suzaku, Cici and Arthur), held between he, Kaguya, Ohgi, Deithard and Kallen when Suzaku had waltzed right in and thrown his face into his lap. Lelouch had resisted the urge to chastise him when he realized the other was shaking and that tears were beginning to dampen his Zero uniform. While the other members of the group had looks ranging between stunned, baffled, excited and embarrassed, Tohdoh appeared in the doorway and sent him a look. Without words, Lelouch just seemed to understand the meaning and nodded quietly. "Ohgi?" He asked gently, causing the Japanese to jolt up sharply.

"Uh, yes, Zero?" He asked, clearing his throat slightly. Lelouch let one of his hands rest atop Suzaku's head to try and help calm him down, his head tilting down to his dear partner.

"Please go inform everyone that things are going to be on temporary hold for mourning; we have lost Rin Kururugi to the Britannians," He said as delicately as he could. He heard them all gasp before Kaguya let out a loud, pained cry and hid her face in her hands. Kallen rushed to her side, gently helping her calm down and trying to soothe her. Realization etched on Diethard and Ohgi's faces.

"Of course, Zero," Ohgi said quietly before he rose and headed out, the other people following him. He made sure to quietly shut the door. Once the door was closed, their privacy secure, Lelouch calmly removed the mask of Zero and set it off to the side. He then gently tugged down the mask he wore beneath that and let out a small sad sigh.

"What happened?" He asked gently, his fingers smoothing through the other's deep auburn curls. He heard Suzaku mumbled something into his thighs but he couldn't understand it. He gently lifted the other's head and felt his heart break at the look in those watery jade spheres he loved so much. "Oh, Suzaku." He said sadly, pulling Suzaku into an embrace. He felt the other's arms wrap around his waist tightly.

"It was Bismarck Waldstein. He killed her with his knightmare frame, since she hijacked one," He mumbled against Lelouch's collarbone. The ebony haired male closed his eyes and focused on stroking Suzaku's hair in hopes of calming him. He knew that Nunnally wouldn't be brought back to him but he had feared he would lose Suzaku as well. He was just grateful that the other had come back. Though he felt terrible over the lose he was now suffering through. "She's dead and it's all my fault." He mumbled softly.

"Suzaku, this isn't your fault. They were heavily guarded and prepared; you can't blame yourself for the enemy having a plan," Lelouch said delicately. Suzaku tensed suddenly and pushed away from him, a glare on his features.

"Then why didn't you come after me? If you had been there you could have come up with some kind of plan!" He snapped angrily, the tears beginning to fade. Lelouch knew that rage was a stage in the path of coping with a tremendous lose but he certainly hadn't expected his Japanese lover to switch so quickly. "You're always coming up with rescue plans and stuff like that! Why didn't you go with them in the Shinkiro?"

"She said she could handle it and I was needed here, Suzaku," Lelouch said as calmly as possible. He knew what it was like to lose someone as precious as your mother to a country as warped as Britannia; he himself had lost his mother that way, after all. Unlike Suzaku, however, he had someone to blame besides himself and he had Nunnally to look after. Then again, Suzaku technically did have Lindo, but he wasn't too sure the other boy was ready to accept his little brother. "Right now you should be more focused on mour-"

"Would you just shut up? You walk around thinking you know everything but you don't! You can't possibly understand how I feel!"

"I think I understand it a little better than you think, considering I was in your position about seven years ago! Or did you just pretend that didn't happen?" Lelouch hissed out lowly, his patience beginning to run very low. When his mother died, he had held his anger in and only unleashed it when he was given an outlet; normally said outlet was Suzaku, considering that at first he'd been quite the little brat when it came to the Lamperogue siblings, but at least he had done something to earn it. Lelouch was just trying to help Suzaku feel better about the whole tragedy.

"Considering your mother isn't really dead I don't think you do! She's alive in Anya, remember?" Suzaku snapped back angrily.

"And how long have I known that, Suzaku? Because you seem to forget that I found out a few days ago when you did!" Lelouch glared harshly at Suzaku as the words came from his lips. They both perked up when the door opened and Cici entered, a box of pizza in one hand. Lelouch took a deep breath and released it, calming himself back down. "Why hello, witch." He said casually. She made a small noise in the back of her throat, mouth occupied on a piece of pie in one hand, and flopped over on the twin sized bed. She was lying on her stomach, the box next to her, and she looked between them calmly.

"Suzaku, your mother says to stop acting up or she'll have Tohdoh change your name to Pima. Lelouch, your mother says to be more patient and not take anything Suzaku says personally; he's just very distraught right now," She said smoothly after swallowing. She then took another bite of his pizza while Suzaku looked at her with large eyes. The young Japanese boy turned his attention to the Brit now calmly unzipping the front of the Zero uniform to change.

"Doesn't it bother you that she's pretending to talk to our mothers?" Suzaku asked, tone completely incredulous. Lelouch glanced at him, violet orbs the picture of zen.

"Not really," He said with a slight shrug, "because she can. Because Cici is a deathless witch, an immortal, she can communicate with the dead. She's been explaining a few things to me since you left, just so that I'd be better informed of what exactly it is we're fighting again. V2, the one who orchestrated my mother's murder and our current target, is an immortal like her."

"Then why didn't you go to get me instead of my mother? If you can't die there would have been no danger in it for you!" Suzaku snapped, turning to face the calm green haired female. She looked up at him lazily before shrugging.

"Rin didn't ask me to help. Much like you, Rin is the type who prefers to help others than be the one asking for help," She said airily before taking another bite from her slice of pizza. After she swallowed she chuckled lightly, a rare smile coming to her lips. "It's one of the more endearing qualities your mother passed on to you. Tragically, you also gained her short fuse and grand physical aptitude." Amber eyes flickered over to the paler male still seated on the bed. "All you got from your mother was her good lucks; you definitely got the short end of the stick in the gene pool you were dipped in to."

"You're such a riot, witch," Lelouch sneered back before he looked at Suzaku. He reached out and gently took his hand in his own. "For now, Suzaku, just spend the time being depressed over your mother leaving you. I also think you may want to have a chat with your little brother; you and Kaguya are the only blood relatives he has left now."

Suzaku eyes widened as he realized he had completely forgotten about his kid brother. He turned on his heels and darted out, rushing to what was his mother's cabin. Inside he found Kaguya seated on the bed, holding his sobbing little brother gently. She looked up at him, eyes red and watering back up again, and he slowly approached. He sat down on the other side of Lindo and reached out, letting his hand lightly run through his hair. The younger boy jerked up and looked at him, eyes wide, before frantically trying to wipe away his tears. "What are you doing?" Suzaku asked softly in surprise.

"I have… I have to be strong! Men don't cry; no matter what!" The younger boy chirped quickly, sniffling a little. Suzaku blinked then gently pulled the other into an embrace, feeling the other shift a bit in surprise.

"The real show of strength is crying when you need to, Lindo," He said softly. He had remembered Tohdoh had told him that once when he was training. He had fallen and twisted his ankle but refused to cry out in pain, trying his hardest to blink away the bitter tears of pain starting to prick at the back of his eyes. He felt the other begin to shake before sobs once again caused his whole body to shudder. Jade orbs shifted to the dark haired girl a few feet away before holding out the other arm, inviting her to him. She blinked, tears filling up her eyes again, before she fell into his arms and cried as well. He tucked his head down, bit the inside of his cheek, and let a few more tears fall from his eyes.

…

"I'm sorry, Rin," Cici said out loud as she walked along the beach. It was dark outside and late, less people out, so talking to the ghost wouldn't raise any suspicion. She looked toward the dimly glowing figure walking beside her, her eyes seeming less bright and her hair a little less soft in the glow of death. It was, however, the curse that always befell the ghosts of those Cici had ever cared about.

"I'm not," The other said with a small laugh, her voice just as strong as ever. She rested her hands on her hips and looked out at the stars and moon light glittering atop the ocean waves. It really was a breathtaking sight. "I married young and to a man I didn't love, yes, but I had two wonderful little boys. And sure, sometimes they both made me want to yank my hair out, but they were my little babies, my little angels. Knowing that they'll live and have their own families in a more equal world makes my death seem a little less tragic somehow. And make sure Suzaku doesn't pull any more of that martyr bull he's become fond of. You remind him that I died for a reason."

"Of course," She laughed lightly as this. She suddenly remembered the plucky little Japanese girl she'd met on the streets years ago, when Rin was only fifteen. She had offered her Geass in exchange for a deal and the stubborn girl had accepted eagerly, not caring what may be asked of her in return. And now, years later, that power had been unable to save her life. It somehow made Cici wonder why Geass was considered the power of the king if it couldn't even accomplish that much.

"Though I must admit, I expected death to be much worse than it was," Rin said bluntly. She shook her head a little bit and shrugged. "Honestly, I'm actually kind of disappointed. I was expecting excruciating pain followed by a bright light that would envelop me, taking me on to whatever occurs after you die. Instead it was more like I feel extreme heat around me, hear the deafening explosion, and then I blink and I'm standing over my barbequed corpse. Maybe it was the way I died that kept me from feeling pain."

"Or maybe someone up there just felt bad for you and decided to spare you the pain," The green haired witch suggested calmly. The ghost snorted in response to this.

"Well then they shouldn't have; I wanted to see if child birth was worse than dying and right now child birth is winning," She hissed in a low grumbled. Cici chuckled lightly at this and shook her head, both bemused and amused by her friend's thought process. "I mean, seriously, if having Suzaku and Lindo was more painful than my actual death than why couldn't I have died when I had one of them instead? Death should be determined by the degree of pain felt by the body in question."

"So will you be going on to the next life?" Cici asked after a small pause fell between them. She knew Rin hated it when the subject was changed immediately after one of her rants.

The other stretched and let out a loud sigh. "Not quite yet. I still have some unfinished business, after all. I was thinking I'd just go and bug Marianne for a while. Maybe she and I together can think of a way to get V2 isolated to help you guys back here," She explained gently. She shifted her gaze from the sea to the green haired witch. "I'll come back if we learn anything else to update you on the situation over there."

"Thank you," Cici said, "for everything." The other woman blinked a little bit in surprise before she grinned back and waved. She then disappeared in a long trail of pale grey smoke that followed the winds across the ocean.

"Who were you talking to?" A calm, feminine voice quizzed lightly. Cici turned slightly, blinking as she took in the sight of Kallen Koizuki. Her red haired was spiked back as usual and she was clad in the Black Knights female uniform minus the face shield and visor. She then turned her attention back to the sea as she listened to the other slowly walked to where Rin's ghost had previous occupied.

"Just an old friend," She said calmly before dropping down and sitting on the sand. She let out a long sigh. "I have a lot of old friends I'd like to see again, when I think about it. But they never come here that often. Not very many of them, anyway."

"Maybe they don't want you to cling to the past?" Kallen asked gently. Amber orbs widened a fraction and shifted to her. Icy blue eyes gleamed with a small amount of discomfort before turning back to gaze at the water not too far off. "My mother was addicted to Refrain, obsessed with living in the past, like a lot of other Japanese people. But what they never thought about was looking toward the future that they could have. Things are bad now but if they had given it time they could have had much better lives. That's why I believe so much in Le- Zero; he can do the impossible."

"See the invisible. Row row, fight the power," Cici sang softly with a little smirk on her lips. Kallen looked at her as if she was crazy, to which she quickly waved her hand dismissively. "It's a joke from before your time. Just forget about it."

"Gladly," Kallen laughed lightly, shaking her head and looking up at the moon. "As I was saying, clinging to the past can make people stupid, make them keep their mind only on the bad and not the good. Your future can be what you make of it; that's something I've learned through being in the Black Knights. Maybe your old friends want you to remain in the present, with your eyes fixed toward the future."

"I guess that could kind of make sense," Cici mumbled softly, looking down and beginning to draw strange symbols into the sand. Silence fell between them but Cici couldn't really say that it was uncomfortable or even awkward. It was almost kind of pleasant to have Kallen with her, like she was a little less lonely with her nearby. Not wanting to dwell too far into thinking of being grateful for the half Japanese woman's presence, she decided to start up a much more comfortable conversation.

"So, did you ever notice that Zero's outfit makes him look like a Power Ranger reject?"

…

Lelouch situated himself at one of the large tables in the cafeteria building. He was trying again with holding a meeting between the people with the most influence at the base. Suzaku and Cici sat on either side of him, both bearing guarded and serious expressions. The table was a circle so that everyone could face one another easier. Around the table, from Cici to Suzaku, it was Kallen, Ohgi, Deithard, Tohdoh, and Kaguya. He somehow found it interesting that he and Deithard, the full blooded Britannians in the bunch, were seated across from one another and that the ones who knew who he truly was were the ones closest to him but tossed the information aside as useless. "We must think very carefully of what our next plan is," He said calmly, voice disguised by the large helmet he wore.

"First, I would like us to discuss the elephant in the room, Lord Zero," Deithard said calmly. He then shifted his glance, narrowed to a slight glare, to Suzaku. "Why is Kururugi Suzaku, a known traitor to his own people and Britannia alike, seated here and so close to you?"

"As I have explained before, Kururugi has been working as a double agent for me since we rescued him from being falsely accused of killing Prince Clovis," He answered smoothly. He sat up a little straighter in his seat. "That is the reason he never killed any Black Knights in combat; he merely made the knightmare frames we were piloting useless. He needed to gain trust within the Britannian military so he could climb the ranks and get more accurate information to us."

Suzaku really was surprised as what a wonderful liar Lelouch was. He was leading the Black Knights around by their noses, giving them the answers he wanted them to believe, and they always did believe him one hundred percent. "And what of Gino Weinberg, who suddenly came here with him?" The reporter asked back, his voice rising a little higher with suspicion.

"Lady Rin revealed something very interesting to me before she passed on," Lelouch began, causing everyone in the room to shoot up. It had only been three days since Tohdoh and Suzaku had returned without the teenage pilot's mother. "It involves a peace agreement spoiled by a Britannian noble back before the war on Japan began. With this new information, we learned the terms of the agreement and have decided to execute it as it should have been. Gino Weinberg, after being told of the truth, offered to help us end the war and bring about a peaceful future."

"And what were the terms of this peace agreement you claim to know about?" Tohdoh asked suddenly, his eyes hardening on their masked leader. As a close friend to Rin and one of the greatest military leaders under Prime Minister Kururugi, he would be the lie detector. If Tohdoh revealed what Zero said to be true, no one would question his motives or plans. Suzaku was honestly surprised that Lelouch had thought through this meeting so thoroughly.

"I believe you know what agreement it was," He began calmly, "but I will explain for the sake of those in this room who do not. Japan made a deal with Britannia before the war started; if Japan could select the heir to succeed Charles zi Britannia and one of its citizens was made Knight of One, they would become one of Britannia's allied forces in their conquest of the world. They would supply Britannia with soldiers, sakuradite for the knightmares, and in exchange they would get Britannia's support and someone with power in the higher branches of Britannia. This plan was tossed aside, however, when a figure close to the Emperor had Lady Marianne assassinated. They framed Japan and hence the war on Japan was launched." He explained. He watched the faces of the other's (specifically Ohgi and Deithard; the only two men who knew nothing of this agreement) as silence began to reign around them.

"Is this true, Tohdoh?" Ohgi asked gently, shifting his attention from the masked hero to the Japanese soldier.

"Yes, it is true," He said after a deep breath. He then looked to Zero sternly. "But how can the treaty be accomplished? The prince Japan selected was killed."

"They selected Prince Clovis?" Deithard asked in sheer shock. Ohgi had a similar expression on his face but fell silent. The older male shook his head.

"No, Prince Lelouch vi Britannia. He was sent to us with his young sister, Princess Nunnally vi Britannia, as political hostages. They were killed during the invasion of Japan, however," He said while looking down. He glanced back up. "Lady Rin had arrangements made for them to reside with a family known as the Ashford's who were close to Lady Marianne before and after her marriage to the Emperor. They were killed before they made it there."

"Wrong," Lelouch said smoothly. He raised one hand calmly in the air. "The vi Britannia siblings are still alive. Nunnally has been returned to the Britannian palace and Lelouch is currently missing. But we, however, will take down the Emperor and enact the treaty. We will go search for Lelouch vi Britannia after we take down Britannia."

"Why don't we take over Britannia for ourselves? Why let one of their heirs take over just so he can continue what his father started?" Deithard asked calmly. Lelouch gestured to Suzaku with one hand calmly.

"I believe that Suzaku can explain why," He said calmly. The other blinked, emerald spheres glinting with confusion, before his eyes widened with realization.

"Lelouch and I became friends after he was sent to live with us," He began. He saw Tohdoh smile a little bit at this. "I mean, not right away, but after a while we became great friends. He was appalled at what Britannia was trying to do and vowed to stop them. If he became Emperor it is highly likely that he would find a way to end Britannia's tyranny and release the countries that got stuck beneath Britannia by his father."

"It could never be that easy," Ohgi said gently.

"You never know, Ohgi," Kallen said calmly. She tilted back a little in her seat. "Not all Britannians are total jerks, after all."

The older man sighed and nodded calmly. "Yeah, I guess you're right. So what's our next move, Zero?" He asked, looking toward the other.

"First, we prepare for combat. And then we have to go and free Japan," He said calmly. He didn't miss the small, slightly relieved smile that came to Tohdoh and Kallen's faces. "After we have freed Japan we'll set to work on getting a few more allies before going after the main course. For now the preparations must be made. After this, I'd like for Kallen and Suzaku to have a quick sparring session in private. Cici and I will make sure they're both prepared and we'll work on coming up with a strategy. Ohgi, you and Tohdoh should also run through some plans involving the new systems added to the knightmares. Deithard, please talk to Rakshata about getting every knightmare frame upgraded with the air glide wing system; in specific, the Guren. See if she can give us an estimated tome of how long it should take her. Kaguya, please make sure that everyone is emotional stable at current."

"Of course, Zero," They all said in unison. They rose and headed off, only Kallen, Cici and Suzaku remaining.

"So where exactly are we going to go for this sparring match? Kicking your ass sounds pretty good right now," Kallen asked with a sneer, glaring at Suzaku. She was answered with a glare in return.

"Like you could. You may be able to pilot a knightmare but I doubt you've got those kinds of skills outside of a cockpit," He said back calmly. Kallen's eye began to twitch in rage before she let out a low snarl and tried to charge at him. She was held back by the other girl with peacock colored locks.

"Please stop your squabbling, children," Cici said bluntly, "otherwise you'll give Daddy a terrible headache. Save your energy for the sparring match you're going to be completing." She said while Lelouch twirled and headed toward the door in a flap of dark fabric. They quickly followed, Suzaku taking long strides to catch up with him.

…

They headed into the woods not too far from the camp. They were near a large spring (which Kallen and Suzaku both recognized) since Cici wanted to float along as they talked. Lelouch sat against a tree, his Zero mask next to him and his eyes trained on Suzaku and Kallen as they got ready to fight. "So my mother is going to keep us up to date on what happens in Britannia, right?" He asked calmly.

"Yes. Since Rin is a ghost she'll be coming back and forth between us," Cici agreed calmly. Lelouch winced a bit as he watched Kallen and Suzaku charge forward at each other. Kallen grabbed one of the other's legs and aimed to punch him right in the jaw. He caught her arm and twisted it around, using this time to yank his leg free and throw her down. "It's easier than anything else we could think of."

"What about your ability to communicate due to the Geass you gave her? Wouldn't that be much faster?" He asked. He perked up when Kallen threw the elbow for the arm Suzaku wasn't holding back and into his face. The brunette groaned but held her in place, wincing a little bit. "Hey, try to avoid actually damaging each other." Lelouch barked out calmly.

"Yes, Kallen, Suzaku needs to look good otherwise Lelouch can't enjoy having sex with him as much," Cici called back with a small smirk. Lelouch's ears flattened to his skull and he growled warningly at her. Kallen blinked a few times in shock, pushing Suzaku off of her and getting back on to her feet.

"You two have had sex?" Kallen snapped with wide eyes, cheeks darkening, as she looked at the cat-eared terrorist. Suzaku got back up and blinked a few times.

"Yup, and Lelouch is the one of the receiving end of the relationship," The gold eyed witch said with a large grin on her lips.

"Shut up, witch!" Lelouch snapped at her angrily before turning back to the red haired woman gawking at them. He then let out a little sigh and looked at her, ears slowly going back up. "What Cici says is none of your business but Suzaku and I are in a relationship. I'm sorry if you are alarmed in this fact." He said gently. She dropped on her knees in front of him and blinked a few times at him. She then reached out and stroked his ears, causing him to blink a few times. She grinned brightly and let out a surprisingly girly giggle.

"Oh my God! Your ears are so fluffy!" She mused happily. Lelouch's eye started to twitch while Cici laughed loudly at them. "Sorry, but I've been dying to do that for so long! You just looked so cute with the ears and I wanted to see if they were as fluffy as real cat ears."

Suzaku growled lightly as he darted over. "Get your hands off of him, you crazy Zero fangirl!"

…

V2 scowled as he paced in the dimly lit room, a small scowl on his lips. "You have been training your whole life for this moment," He said calmly. He twirled on his heels and stopped, looking at the person seated before him. "We need you to take out Zero. He is posing an immediate threat to our cause and plans. We can't have him putting Geass to an end; if he does, than you'll have no purpose. You will have no Geass, your skills will be useless, and you will most likely be annihilated. Do you want that?"

"Of course not," The other asked him monotonously. V2 smirked a little bit at this response and nodded calmly.

"Charles seems to be forgetting our plans," He said. He shook his head a little bit. "And, like usual, it's up to me to assure my little brother does not ruin our plans. The world must not find peace; if it does, this will have all been for nothing. The world was created with conflict blossoming from every heart and every creature; death and competition and survival of the fittest have always been the rules followed. Now people want to question this and share equality to everyone. Those people are so terribly wrong in their thoughts and feelings it is disgusting. And they rally behind this masked being they call Zero; this rebellious young prince with his naïve ideals and quick wit. Stopping him must be our main priority, whether my brother knows this or not."

"What do you want me to do, then, sir?" He asked in that same monotonous tone of voice.

"You will pose as a messenger sent by a small unit of rebellion from Area Three seeking out to request Zero's assistance as soon as possible," He said calmly. He pulled out a small manila folder and tossed it on to the table to let him look over it. "This has all the information you'll need to pull this off perfectly. We've also had a plane ticket purchased for you to Area Three, and then to Area Eleven. Make sure to get rid of the ticket to Area Three as soon as you get there; they will search your gear when you arrive and if they should find one thing out of place they will alert everyone they can about you."

"You act as if I've never been sent on a mission before," The other said, a small amount of disdain in his voice.

"I just want to make sure that everything goes exactly as planned. I cannot stress enough how much caution you must take. It is because of your meticulous record and behavior that you were the only option for this mission, Rolo," He said calmly.

Violet orbs glossed with a small amount of blood lust shifted from the table to the individual addressing him. "Thank you, Sir V2," He said calmly before slowly rising. He picked up the folder as he stood. "Is that all in regards to the briefing, Sir?"

"Yes, you may return to your room and begin reading the file. We'll have a pack with everything you'll need inside of it prepared and given to you before we send you off with your tickets," He said calmly. He waited until the other left to smirk and chuckle lightly to himself. "Something tells me you won't have prepared for this, dear nephew."

End

Bonus Story: Learning to be a Cat (First part would take place around chapter three or so)

Arthur's ears and tails twitched as he heard the soft growls coming from under the desk in his new room. He could barely understand what the grumbling was but after leaning a little closer he could. "I won't let them… They won't lock me up anymore. I'll fight them to the death if I have to!" The other was promising themselves. The purple furred cat hopped from his perch and approached the other.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked calmly, sitting down. He began calmly licking his paw and rubbing it behind his ear to help clean it. He knew to act aloof and uninterested when talking to a possible recruit; these were things he'd learned as a stray on the streets of the Britannian settlement.

"I… I don't want to get locked up again," He heard the other state softly, voice dropping to a soft whimper. He blinked, looking and realize that this one looked like his favorite human at Ashford Academy.

'_So this is what happened to you… How strange and interesting,'_ He thought before crawling under and looking at the other. He pressed back further, his back completely against the wall, and tried growling lowly. This little human-cat thing reminded Arthur so much of before he was made a domestic pet and of the ones he'd lost to the territory battles. He stayed where he was and looked at the other with his head tilted slightly. "Don't worry, kid; I'm not going to beat you up or anything. Just remember that I'm the boss and we shouldn't have any trouble."

"That doesn't sound too hard… What's the catch?" He asked suspiciously, settling back down a little bit. Arthur walked off with his usual composure, returning to his previous perch.

"No catch, kid," He said as he settled back down. Lelouch crawled out a little bit, jumping and hissing when Suzaku tossed and grumbled lowly in his sleep. "And don't pay him no mind, neither. He may not seem like it, but he's actually pretty harmless. Hell, he'll even let you bite and claw the crap out of him without so much as a single complaint. His last cat must have taught him exactly who was boss, I'll tell you that much." He laughed calmly.

"Really? He won't try to lock me up? Or knock me out with funny smelling gas? Or poke at me with sharp needles and stuff?" Lelouch asked suspiciously. He stayed where he was, ears slicked back and tail fluffed, as he studying the human a few feet away.

"Really. And if he tries and funny business on you I'll put him back in his place. We cats got to stick together, after all," Arthur said calmly. He watched as Lelouch turned, heading back toward his previous little hide-out. "Don't you want to eat something? Or maybe get a little something to drink?"

"No. I just want to get some sleep; I have to wake up before that human does," He said as he disappeared back to his previous little spot. Arthur sighed lightly as he realized that he hadn't really made any progress with the other feline. He then rested his head on his paws, feeling a little better that the other was at least relaxed enough to stop all of his growling. "And thank you."

He blinked then grinned, closing his eyes and letting his body relax. "No problem, kid,"

…

Lelouch perked up when he saw Arthur hopping on to the bed with him and Suzaku. They had just finished their little argument and their make-up sex. As he was laying there, nuzzled into Suzaku, he had suddenly remembered how the other had helped him out when he first arrived from Lloyd's lab. "Let me up; I need to feed Arthur," He said, trying to push away from Suzaku.

"He's fine; he just ate two hours ago," The other argued, keeping his arms linked around his waist and pulling him back down. Lelouch let out a grunt of annoyance and glared at him, ears flattening angrily.

"Sorry, but I'm having fun cuddling you. I'll be leaving soon to go get Nunnally, after all, and I want to enjoy the time that's left with you."

"What you mean is that you want to have another round of sex. And what I mean is it's not happening and if you don't let me up I'm going to make you regret it," He growled back, pushing up and trying to squirm away again. He ended up flopping over on his side with Suzaku grinning and still holding him. He could feel his eye twitching at this. "Goddamnit Suzaku! I will kick your ass so hard if you do not let go this instance!"

"Stupid humans just can't obey the easiest of commands, huh?" Arthur sighed as he jumped over, landing on a certain brunette's head and launching in to attack mode. Suzaku immediately released his boyfriend and tried to pry off the cat. Lelouch smirked, rolled off the bed, and slipped back on his brief quickly. He then headed over to the pile of wet cat food cans Cici had brought in for the feline.

"Thank you Arthur," He said calmly as he peeled one can open. The cat hopped off of Suzaku's head and rushed over, rubbing against Lelouch's legs in a figure eight pattern. "For your chivalrous behavior, I present you with a small token of my gratitude." He said with a small smile as he set the can down. Said cat pounced upon it as if he hadn't eaten in months.

"You are the coolest in the world, Little Bro," Arthur meowed after a few quick bites. He then went back to munching on his food eagerly. Lelouch lightly scratched behind one ear.

"My pleasure to be of assistance, Boss," He mused before heading back to bed to his pouting partner.

End

Chapter was not filler; was a tension/suspense builder and yes, there is a difference~! I know this chapter was shorter than usual but sadly tis the price of my recent employment. I work part time, though, so I still have some good time from work. But since I do have work and my hours conflict with my usual sleep schedule (staying up till like 3 A.M. and waking up at like 1 P.M.) I've been a little out of whack. Once my internal clock adjusts to the new schedule, however, I should be fine and the chapters should pick back up in length. Also, I made another Gurren Lagaan joke in here because Lelouch's voice actor is also the voice of a character in that show. He plays Simon (Suzaku's) best friend Rossiu which made me giggle. Also, if you didn't know… Hee hee… Lelouch's voice actor was ACTUALLY A POWER RANGER! Remember Adam from Might Morphin' Power Rangers? Yup, that was Johnny Yong Bosch, the voice of Lelouch! He's done a crap ton of other voices so I'll be making more jokes. (I know more of his characters than Suzaku's voice actor, Yuri Lowenthal, so I'll make a lot more jokes involving his other voices). Finally, please check ut my poll, tell me what you think and I'll see you next update~!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. I do own the plot. All songs used belong to their respective artists.

_Revolutionaries wait  
For my head on a silver plate.  
Just a puppet on a lonely string.  
Oh who would ever want to be king?_ – _Viva la Vida_ by Coldplay

Chapter Nine

Lelouch let out a long, drawn out sigh as he relaxed against the tree. Kallen and Suzaku had been sparring for almost four hours (thirty minutes of which were spent trying to get the red-haired pilot to stop petting Lelouch's fluffy ears and matching tail and the next hour spent trying to stop a game of tug-of-war that began between the two Japanese individuals with Lelouch substituting as the rope while Cici just laughed at the sight) with varying results. Currently, the two were at a stalemate with equal victories on either side. "Finish this spar and then let's head back; there's going to be some rain coming in soon and I'm rather not get caught in it," He said calmly.

"Why? Does kitten not like the water?" Cici jeered lightly from her perch a few feet away. She was seated on a rock across from Lelouch, legs hugged to her chest under her knees, her hair drooping over her shoulders and arms in a lazy fashion. Lelouch flashed a haughty smirk her way in response.

"Actually, I was more worried the water would cause you to melt, like that poor woman from the Wizard of Oz," He explained in an equally teasing tone. She smirked at him slightly and made released a small chuckle, stretching herself out and slowly rising back to her feet.

"I'll give you that point, so I'll be heading back to get myself some pizza. Would you like me to bring another one with me for you and Suzaku?" She asked calmly, glancing over just in time to watch Kallen throw the young brunette over her shoulder and onto his back with a satisfied smirk in place. "Something tells me he'll need a little R and R after sparring with her."

"Well, personally, I'd prefer it if you'd bring him and I something other than pizza to eat," He said with a sigh, rising to his feet again and preparing to place his mask back on. He ignored the look of sheer horror that crossed the other's face at his words. _'Though, just for that comment, something tells me you're going to being us a pizza anyway. Oh well; it was worth a try.'_ Lelouch thought with a sigh as he walked over, offering his hand to the other male.

"Thanks," Suzaku mumbled, taking the appendage. He had to use mostly his own strength to get up, since Lelouch was so weak, and scowled at the red haired female angrily. She merely smiled and hummed lightly, turning on her heels and following after the green haired witch a few paces ahead of her. "You should have warned me that Kallen was a demon outside of a knightmare cockpit too, you know."

"I claim no fault in this, simply because you knew before you two started your sparring that she was trained in the ways of terrorism; physical prowess is a key element for a good terrorist to keep from getting caught," Lelouch said calmly, smooth smirk in place. Suzaku huffed lightly, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from making a smart remark back at the other in response. He knew that, with what was brewing in his head, it would end in a terrible fight and he didn't want them to have another one of those. "Well, anyway, let's head back. I need to complete some more plans." The inky haired male said calmly as he slipped back on his mask.

Suzaku walked behind him silently, a little curious as to why Lelouch felt the need to hide his identity now. _'The Black Knights… Well, actually, the most important powers of the Black Knights have been informed that Lelouch was to take the throne and aid in the creation of a peaceful world, and have even agreed to help in accomplishing said goal now. So why not just tell them that the fallen Britannian prince is actually their leader? Wouldn't that help them remain strict to the plan?'_ He thought curiously, watching Lelouch's long cape as it shifted with every step. He rolled his eyes at the dramatic style of the entire outfit, though he did have to admit it hugged the other's body rather snugly. _'Then again, he may be afraid of what Toh-Doh might do… He was a colleague of my father's who helped my mother to situate Lelouch and Nunnally being placed in our care. Even if his main reason was to appease my mother, he may think to use Lelouch as leverage. And something tells me that if the Black Knights knew the truth of their self-proclaimed savior they'd turn their loyalties back to their own interests and agree to using him as bait; if the way Kallen abandoned him like a coward on Kamina Island after I said a few harsh words is anything to go by, that is. Especially considering she is their ace pilot and, technically, the Black Knight's equivalent to their leader's knight. Kind of makes me glad that I decided to come here and help; the thought of Kallen being the last defender of Japan's only hope for liberation is somewhat frightening.'_ He thought with a small scowl, closing his eyes tightly as he tried not to think about the idea he had previously suggested.

Though it went unnoticed to Suzaku, and Lelouch said nothing of it, Kallen sneezed when Suzaku remembered the incident with the red-head. "I must be catching a cold," She mumbled while sniffling lightly.

"But I thought that in Japan idiots couldn't catch colds?" Cici mused with a small grin, hurrying her steps slightly. She was quickly chased by the now furious Japanese woman.

"Oh, how wonderful; now those two are going to be bickering non-stop just because Cici has a little crush on Kallen," Lelouch sighed heavily, shaking his head a little bit. Suzaku jolted up and darted over, catching up to the other and staring at him strangely. He was answered by the small square above Lelouch's Geassed eye going up and the quirking of one black brow. "What? That's how Cici shows that she cares; by making a mockery of people. She only harasses the ones she loves."

"Then what does she do to those that she hates?" Suzaku asked slowly. The masked figure shifted a bit, the eyebrow remaining lifted.

"Do you really want to know?" He asked curiously. When he received silence, the mask returned to shielding his eye and he resumed walking. "That's what I thought. Now no more silly questions, okay? I'm starting to worry that your little brain might just break if I don't take better care of you. Everything needs to be censored and filtered for your safety, after all." He mused worriedly, the other blushing tremendously and following him with a bright blush on his cheeks.

…

"So while I was away you made contact with a rebellion group from where?" Lelouch asked calmly as he sipped from his water bottle calmly. Due to his need to begin planning some strategies and such, Lelouch had sent Suzaku to get him something to eat instead of trusting Cici with the task; Suzaku knew his taste buds much better than Cici did, considering the witch only ever thought of what she herself would enjoy.

"Hokkaido. They sent there young leader, this scrappy little think, named Takashi to talk with me. They wanted to hear back from you as soon as possible, but that was almost six months ago now. Contacting them may also be difficult due to the recent crack-down on Japanese rebellion forces; Cornelia's on a quest for blood and she isn't letting anyway be free from her fury," She said blandly, seeming more interested in the cheese dipping into her mouth from her pizza than the concerns of the world. In honesty, Cici was more interested and involved than any could know; she feigned disinterest because a part of her was afraid to put faith in Lelouch when there was always a chance of failure. In all her years, Cici had learned that setting herself up for disappointment was most certainly never worth it. "So I didn't know what exactly you were planning for this whole situation. After all, you've just recently come back to the Black Knights and I didn't know what means you'd want to take in regards to this."

"Well, you certainly make an excellent point," Lelouch sighed deeply, resting his head on the heel of his hand, "in regards to Cornelia. Despite my capture and apparent execution, she certainly wants to crush the Japanese for following or admiring me. So, considering this is all a chain reaction caused by me, I assume that makes this my task to repair this. Our first task is to go to Hokkaido and see about locating this rebellion force and offer our assistance. How is Rakshata doing in upgrading the other knightmare frames with the air glade system?"

"Well," Kallen said calmly, "so far she'd about half-way through, since her most recent task has been designing some for the Guren. She finished that but it took a lot more time than she originally estimated. We still have the ships, though, that we used to get them all here in the first place. So, if need be, we can just put the ground units on the ships with their respective pilots. Those of us that have been upgraded could also take to the air."

"No, no. We'll all go on the ships together. For now, however, I do need to get to the ships so I can try to send a signal to Hokkaido and get us direction on where to dock and meet up," Lelouch said with a small sigh, picking up the cape and mask of his outfit. Suzaku scowled slightly, still bothered by Lelouch using the mask to hide his identity to his troops, but kept the feeling inside. "Cici, Suzaku, you two can stay here if you want. Kallen, you will come with me. We need to go get Ohgi as well; he's much better at figuring out the proper frequencies for communication than most of the Black Knights." He said while clipping the cape back in place and then slipping on the mask. Suzaku stood up and followed after he and Kallen, growling when the spiky haired woman cut him off from leaving, bringing up his boyfriend's heels instead.

"Ah, that boy of mine is such a spazz," A voice hummed lightly after the door shut. Cici turned and smirked at the ghost only halfway visible through the wall. From her waist down was invisible until she finally stepped closer and strode to the bed. She flopped down on the edge, though the mattress and sheets did not yield under her. "But that girl is sort of a spazz too. That's probably why you lik her s much; she's a lot like Marianne, only her figure is a little more shapely. Plus you have a terrible weakness for blue eyes."

"Since when have I had a weakness for blue eyes?" Cici asked with a small smirk on her lips, nibbling on one edge of the crust left from her slice of pizza. The other laughed loudly, falling back so that she and Cici were face to face. Giddy green eyes met with skeptical gold.

"Do you not remember that little love affair you had with Mimi, the half-American in our yanki crew? She had blue eyes and you always said that you just loved the hue. That girl –isn't her name Kallen or something?- her eyes are almost the exact same hue; her eyes, I must admit, are a lighter and somewhat more elegant shade but the main point still stands. You're a sucker for a girl with blue eyes."

"Whatever," Cici huffed lightly, glaring off to the side slightly while grabbing another piece of pizza for herself. Rin giggled lightly, a mix of both her amusement of being right and getting the green-haired woman's feather's ruffled, with that somewhat redeeming grin both she and Suzaku could manage. It was, admittedly, one of the main reasons Suzaku was not one of Cici's favorite people; she knew his mother and his resemblance to her made her miss the days before his existence, when things seemed so much more possible. Rin was an incurable optimist back then, and she had rubbed off on the other two girls. "Anyway, what did Marianne have to say when she saw you?"

"Well, first she yelled at me for raising my son to be an impulsive idiot like me," She trailed, holding up a finger as she continued on and listed more things, "and then she yelled at me for coming after him like an impulsive idiot, then she started crying because she was so distraught that I had died, then she was crying because I hadn't come to see her sooner, and then she was back to being angry for all of the above." Cici snorted lightly, trying to hold back her giggles at the story. She could honestly see exactly what she'd been told playing out quite well; Marianne wasn't normally very emotional but when she was it was always quite the spectacle. She briefly wished that she had gotten to be there. "I have a feeling that if I hadn't already been a ghost she would have used her rage to turn me into one. Anyway, we discussed plans and for now she says to just do whatever Lelouch thinks will be best. She said that, since he's the only one of us who isn't dead or having to pose as loyal to the other side or a cynical deathless witch with no Geass, he'll be calling the shots until she can find a chance to get herself down here to help us."

The other nodded wordlessly, letting out a small sigh. Though she was loathe to admit it, she and her comrades really couldn't do anything about the current plans. Lelouch would let her share her thoughts and feelings in regards to planning, but he would always make his own decisions and they would always be successful ones. Rin was now a ghost, meaning she could only voice her opinion through Cici. Marianne was in a host body in Britannia, playing the role of loyal knight to Charles, so she could not share her opinion either. "I guess that really is all we can do… When did we get to be so useless, do you think, Rin?"

"I think that, for Marianne and I, it was after we had kids. For all the trouble that little sonofaprick has put me through, though, I would still rather it be who feels pain than him. And I know that Marianne's desire to take down Charles is partially driven by her rage over what happened to Nunnally because of what V2 was allowed to do," The ghost answered calmly, stretching a little bit as she stood up. There was no feeling as a ghost, but she still liked to pretend she could feel; it made everything seem less real and easier to swallow. "But you still do have the chance to help see this through to the end. Unlike Marianne and I, you are deathless; it is a curse and a blessing, really. You can do what we were unable to, though; you can actually continue fighting without fear of what may happen to you in battle. You will never scar over and you can never experience true death."

"I guess you are right," Cici said with a small, sad little smile. It was the first time she had ever been grateful that she was unable to die.

…

The next morning, after having a chat with young Takashi about coming to aid he and his group and agreeing on a meeting spot in Hokkaido, Lelouch finally addressed all of his remaining followers in person since his return. He hadn't been expecting the loud roar of applause and cheers, nor how he was attacked by a Tamaki in a death hug. "Oh Zero, buddy, I'm so glad you're alive!" The older male wailed into his shoulder while Lelouch tried to calm the man and pry him done.

"I forgot to mention; he missed you more than everyone else here," Cici sneered lightly as she breezed past, knowing that she was receiving a devious behind that pure black mask. Suzaku's eye was twitching as he resisted the urge to launch at the other male and teach him better than to touch wasn't his.

"So I can see. Thank you for your concern, Tamaki, and I am glad that you are alive and well, too," Lelouch said gently, patting the other's head with one gloved hand. The other looked up with tearful surprise. "You are more important to the liberation of Japan than you suspect." _'And also, if I didn't have a court jester any longer how would I keep from going batty with all the battle plans I have to come up with all the time?'_ He thought flatly to himself. He then calmly side-stepped the other man and looked to hushing crowd. "You are all more important than I could ever dream of putting into words and I am grateful that you are all here with me today, ready to stand beside me and continue to fight the tyrannical beast known as Britannia.

I am also heartbroken for those we have lost in this war, and fear the death toll rising as we continue to fight. But it is a risk, and a sacrifice, that many brave soldiers have been though! Some of you have seen the gates of Death and lived; other have been taken from us before their time. It is our duty to assure their deaths do not go in vain; a free Japan is what our sights have been set upon and that is what we will achieve!" The crowd cheered again, Tamaki grinning brightly and whistling and whooping it up. "As I'm sure some of you have noticed, we have two new additions to our group in the form of Suzaku Kururugi and Gino Weinberg. Suzaku has been a loyal follower of me since the beginning, fighting only to earn trust and aid in our progress. Gino Weinberg is of a similar story; Gino is a Britannian, yes, but he is a Britannian who does not feel that what his countrymen have been forced to do to foreign lands is something to be proud of. They shall fight beside us and please, if only because you have faith in me, trust them as your fellow warriors of justice."

There was silence among the crowd for a beat, making Lelouch slightly nervous. Finally he heard a deep voice speak out. "Race should not matter; if they want to fight with us, let them," It was Toh-Doh, and the young Britannian boy had never been so happy to hear the older general speak before. All eyes shifted to him. "We have evidence of what Zero says in regards to Suzaku simply in the fact that all who have fought him are alive to tell the tale. And this Weinberg boy, though I know nothing of him, seems like a good child who can see the true evil in the world. Zero has yet to lead us wrong; we should not be anxious of his words now."

'_Thank you, Toh-Doh,'_ Lelouch thought while releasing a slow breath through his nose. He then waited until the new agreeable crowd shifted attention back to him. "We are currently going to begin preparing to head to Hokkaido to assist our fellow resistance group there. Please be sure to gather all your personal belongs and to help others with packing all the things we'll need on to the ships. We have a much larger plan in store but I cannot say more than that until after we arrive in Hokkaido. Have faith in me and we will achieve a bright future soon!" He declared sternly. He exited to the sound of shuffling as people darted off to do as he asked.

End

So… Shortest chapter in this story ever (as well as latest update on the correct day I've done since May). This is because of a combination of work and trying to help prepare for dinner today. I promise that the next chapter will be more than long enough to make-up for this one and will have a bonus story (maybe two, if I can get the time to do so). So… Yeah! Sorry about the length and I hope you don't think this chapter was filler~!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. I do own the plot. All songs used belong to their respective artists.

_Even though I want to be loved in my own way, it fills me, but I can't see you.  
I just have the feeling that I'll never see you again.  
I want to tell you that, but I can't find the right words.  
Maybe it's okay if I lie, but I can't even say "Don't go away". – __Long Kiss Goodbye_ by Halcali

Chapter Ten

Lelouch tried to relax, despite the many eyes currently fixated on him. They all seemed rather uncomfortable (although some seemed more like they were trying hard not to laugh). "Uh, Zero," Suzaku said lowly, making sure that no one else could hear them.

"Yes?" He asked softly, hoping that Suzaku was going to tell him why he was getting gawked at.

"Well… It appears that… Uh… How do I put it so you don't get mad? It seems th-" Suzaku began to stumble out shyly, seeming unsure of his own words.

"Hey, Zero, how come you have a cat tail?" Tamaki declared gracelessly suddenly, causing everyone to flinch at his bluntness. The people in the room had all been wondering it (aside for Suzaku, Kallen and Kaguya, of course) and it was especially interesting because the long furry appendage actually _moved_. They were unsure as to whether it was an electronic attachment he'd gotten out of a personal preference (which they swore, if he had such a fetish, they _would not_ let it alter how they viewed him) or if… Well, if it was quite possible that the thing was _real_.

"Ah!" Lelouch yelped lightly, glancing back and watching as said appendage fluffed out slightly from fear and surprise. He then cleared his throat lightly. "Well, you see, this is part of what the Britannians did to me when they captured me. They tested a drug on me and… Well, this is what happened." He explained, deciding that the truth was about as plausible as any half-assed lie he could think of on the spot would be.

"How awful! To do test some drug they don't even know about on you like that!" One individual, a young man, declared in sheer shock.

"I don't know… I think it's kind of cute," Another, of the female persuasion, giggled back lightly. She then approached, eyes filled with joy. "Can… Can I pet your tail? Is it as fluffy as it looks?" She asked happily. Before Lelouch could respond, she had grabbed hold of it and began lightly stroking it. "Kyah~! It's so fluffy and soft~!" She squealed eagerly, causing another group of women to flock over and test if what she said was true.

The whole time Lelouch was trying to resist the cat-instinct to hiss at them all and make a break for it.

…

Lelouch was twirling the black king chess piece in his fingers when Suzaku entered Zero's private chambers. They were almost at Hokkaido and Ohgi had asked Suzaku to track Zero down and bring him in (since the other had fled as soon as he chance came, given the incident that occurred earlier) so that he'd be there when they landed and met with their guide. "I tried to convince Cici to play chess with me once," Lelouch commented casually, examining the piece as if he'd never seen it before in his life. Suzaku assumed that this was Lelouch way of both calming down after the episode with the female black knights and another way he was trying to reconnect with Suzaku. Since they would clearly be working together for some time, it was best if they both got a few things off their chest, whether they be important or trivial things.

"Oh?" Suzaku asked politely, walking over to the bed in the corner and picking up the Zero mask. He now realized that the gold symbol on the bottom was actually the Geass symbol, elongated to fit the curves of the mask, and also noticed that Lelouch had wrapped his tail back up against him under the outfit of Zero where no one could see it. A smart decision on the raven haired boy's part, in his personal opinion.

"Yes, she refused to play with me in the end," He said just as calmly as before. He then set the piece back on the board, which was set up perfectly before a game was to start.

"And why was that?" Suzaku asked, walking over and offering him the Zero mask. Lelouch took it calmly, his ears twitching slightly, before looking at the mask himself. He seemed to be checking it over for any scratches or marks.

"Because it wasn't the new Cheese-Kun chess set. She told me that if I got that she'd be more inclined to consider it," He said bluntly, a small smile turning up his lips. Suzaku blinked then let out a small round of chuckles at this.

"Are you serious? I mean, Kallen mentioned she really seemed to like that thing when I was on my way here to get you, but is she really that obsessed?"

"She doesn't like the word obsessed, actually; she prefers the term 'dedicated'," The violet eyed boy laughed lightly in response. He then glanced over toward a door not too far away. "And we should probably keep this conversation quiet; she's right in the other room and I don't think she'd like what we're saying very much."

"She's the one with an obsession, not us," Suzaku snickered back.

"You have no right to criticize me, you stupid ailurophile," Cici suddenly barked in a somewhat annoyed tone of voice from behind the door. Both boys fell silent while Lelouch's ears flattened to his head and he shot a look Suzaku's a way.

"See what I mean? That witch has hearing like a dog; which makes sense, considering she'd such a bitch," He grumbled lowly. He then shrugged calmly and glanced at the door briefly, as if wondering about something himself. "Although, I must give her credit; she hasn't left that thing behind once, despite all the insanity that has occurred, ever since she got that thing." Suzaku blinked then grinned lightly, reaching over and gently scratching behind one of the other's fluffy ears to help relax him. "Ah, a little more to the left… Ah, yes, that feels nice." The other mused, his eyes falling shut and his head tipping back a little more into those warm fingers. Suzaku giggled lightly as this, liking how Lelouch's cat urges and his usual personality seemed to be reaching an equal mixing point. "Remind me to have you do that again later when we have more time to relax."

"Of course; I like it when you're feeling a little more relaxed and cuddly. Well, anyway, we need to get going. We're almost to Hokkaido and Ohgi wants you to be close to the deck when we land," Suzaku explained casually, taking his hand back calmly. Lelouch nodded with a heavy sigh, clearly disappointed in the ending of the contact, before putting the mask back on and heading out. Suzaku paused a few steps behind him, peering over his shoulder and glaring at the door Cici was still settled behind. "And I am not an ailurophile; I'm a Luluphile!" He declared sternly before shutting the door and trotting off.

'_You don't even know what an ailurophile is, do you, Kururugi?'_ Cici laughed to herself as she relaxed on the large, cushy bed with her Cheese-Kun plush clenched to her chest.

…

There was a small, well-hidden bay on one side of Hokkaido, where the Black Knights were currently docking their ships. Lelouch wasn't too surprised by this, really; this was the half of the island that the Japanese rebellion squad was in control of, so they had to make sure to take precautions against the Britannian government. _'I certainly wasn't expecting them to have a hologram project making it seem that there was nothing but a rock bluff here, though. If they have that kind of technology, why do they need our help so badly?'_ He thought to himself. He then shook his head slightly, watching as the knightmare frames were being removed one by one, the process slow to assure no damage being inflicted upon them.

"You must be Zero," A cheerful male voice said teasingly, causing Lelouch to turn around. He had shaggy hair that was a pale blonde hue, with bright blue eyes, which was bizarre for someone of Japanese descent but he kept it himself. He assumed the boy was probably only half Japanese but had been raised as such, much like Kallen. "Your cape was what gave you away." He said in that same teasing tone. We had clad in all black, including leather gloves, a pair of goggles resting on his forehead, and a sniper rifle strapped to his back.

"And you must be Takashi Higurashi, the leader of this group," Lelouch answered calmly, offering one gloved hand to the other. They shook and then took their hands back, being polite but also remaining concerned on the matter of business. "Do you have roads that will be accessible for the knightmare frames?"

"Our base is underground and it is very large; I'm sure we can find a way to get them inside and back out later without too much of an issue," He said calmly. He then blinked and rubbed the back of his head lightly, a nervous smile on his lips. "My apologies; we don't have too many hi-tech gadgets here. The Britannians don't see us as much of a threat so they normally just send armed Honorary Britannian troops to battle with us. It… It makes things very hard, for some of us." He said softly, voice growing meeker and his attention shifting downward. Lelouch had a sinking suspicion the other had been put through the experience of killing someone once dear to him, but did not push the matter any farther than it was already at. "It's one of the reasons our forces are so small as well; a lot of our troops didn't want to kill fellow Japanese that they knew and, instead, they were killed by the traitors. We were lucky enough to swipe that holograph simulator in a raid a few months back; we made a few duplicates and placed them all over to keep those damn Britannians confused."

"A good plan but we shall remove the Britannian forces completely soon enough," He agreed with a small nod. It was then Suzaku walked over, now clad in of the Black Knights uniforms. Lelouch briefly wondered when there had been time for someone to make one for him, considering Lelouch custom made every uniform himself and didn't particularly remembered making that one. "We have three accomplished pilots with three of the finest knightmare frames on the earth so we should have nothing to fear."

"Kururugi Suzaku?" Takashi asked in slightly surprise. He blinked a few times, taking in Suzaku's attire before shaking his head. "I never would have expected you to be working with Zero."

"Well, that was the plan all along," Suzaku said casually with a small smile on his lips. Silently, the rebellion leader was rather grateful that Suzaku had adjusted so well to the lie. He knew the other hated lies and betrayal but he at least he seemed to realize that this time it was necessary to their survival. After all, if the Black Knights had rejected them they had nowhere else to turn for help in defeating Britannia. "Anyway, are we ready to get going? Some of the others are getting restless."

"Yes, we are. The foot unit will lead the way with Takashi in front and those of use with knightmares will follow behind," He said calmly. Takashi smiled lightly at him.

"Thank you, Zero," He said. Lelouch nodded his head politely before heading off and getting into the Shinkiro with Cici. He waited until the hatched shut to remove his mask and release a small sigh.

"Disappointed in their lack of knightmare frames?" She asked casually, booting the Shinkiro up. She waited a beat and then, with Kallen in front and Suzaku behind, she began to lead the group behind the foot soldiers. "You should be glad; if you can free Hokkaido that'll be a big victory. That's one of the islands that make up this country." There was a pregnant silence in which they traveled through the woods before she spoke again. "But there is something else that is weighing down on your mind, I presume?"

"Euphemia is alive," He said flatly. Cici jolted up and looked over her shoulder at him. His head was tilted downward, ebony locks hiding his eyes, but his fingers were laced together and his lips were turned downward in a frown.

"Are you afraid that Suzaku will leave you for her if he finds out?" She asked softly, turning her attention back to watching where they were going. They'd have to be familiarized with the area if they wanted to assure they would be successful in combat.

"I know he would. And I don't really blame him for that," He said softly, his lips twisting up into a sad little smile. He shook his head, ears flattening to his skull. "I… Have become a monster. I know this, and I accept this, but Suzaku still has a chance. I may have been selected to take over for Britannia but I do not think I will be able to do it. Euphemia… She could do it, if not for what happened."

"So you are implying that you want a way to reverse that event? To erase it from the memories of everyone who would hold it against her?"

"Yes, if such a thing were possible," He agreed silently.

"When the time comes, there will be a chance. Once your Father and V2 are dead, we will need to go to the entrance to the World of C to return the Code V2 currently holds and the Geass power in Charles' eyes. At that time, you will be given one chance to make a final wish that, given the ability of your Father's Geass, may be able to accomplish," She explained calmly. Lelouch blinked and perked up, looking at her in pure confusion.

"Why would Geass do such a thing?"

"Because Geass was once human as well," She said delicately, keeping her bland gaze trapped on the upcoming opening in the ground that would most likely lead them into the underground base. "Geass was once a human, pure of heart and soul and intentions, who wished for a way to better the world around them. God offered this gift to the human Geass was once, but the power became too much and corrupted the human. Geass committed terrible sins and created the first bouts of bloodshed ever seen within humanity. This caused humans to fall prey to the sinful urges Satan had put within them. After realizing what had happened, Geass begged God for a way to repent for what had happened. God told Geass that if Geass could try to find someone who could use Geass to turn the world around and return it to the purity it once held, he would purify Geass of their sins. And now, Geass waits for us, the Immortals, to find someone who can accomplish this task in exchange for their own life. That is why Geass will grant you one final wish once you finally return V2's code and the Geass power your Father has."

"In yet V2 does not want the turmoil of the world to end and wants me to die before I can accomplish this task, despite being an Immortal who is supposed to be trying to bring about a peaceful world once again," Lelouch added on. He received a nod from the green haired woman.

"Because V2 fears experiencing a final death. He wants the world to remain as it is so that he may remain an Immortal. And, because of him, you are needed now to save the world that Geass has created," She finished. They followed the others' into a dimly lit tunnel, darkness shrouding the cockpit and leaving only the light of the control panels to fight the blackness. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, actually. In fact, I think I am feeling much better than I have in a very long time," He whispered softly, his smile seeming honest for once, despite Cici being unable to see it in the darkness. He leaned back in the seat and shut his eyes silently, feeling at peace for the first time since the summer at the Kururugi home. "For once, I have a chance to do something right. I can finally give Suzaku and Nunnally the world they deserve."

Cici remained silent as she followed the other knightmare frames, heading down a different tunnel than the foot soldiers. "Zero, we've been given directions to where we can take the knightmare frames. After that we are to meet with the other members of the rebellion force here and then they'll show us to our chambers; and Takashi said not to worry; all the chambers are free of any bugs to assure your comfortable with your accommodations are not afraid you'll be unmasked," Kallen's voice hashed out over the communicator system. Lelouch calmly picked up his mask and slipped it back on.

"Excellent. Thank you, Kallen," He stated calmly. They entered a large, metal room with a large set of hanging lights all around. It wasn't as well lit as their accommodations on the ship, but it wasn't the worst in the world. They could still see well enough outside of the knightmare frames that they'd be fine getting into them safely. After all the knightmare frames were situated in a line like toy soldiers, the pilots exited and headed down. Takashi stood in the doorway to the massive room, a large smile still on his lips.

"If you'll follow me I'll introduce you to the other members. Or, rather, what's left of them now," He said calmly. His smile fading and a tragic expression crossed his features. He then turned and they headed out, Lelouch leading the pack with Cici, Kallen and Suzaku right behind. A few steps behind them, between them and the other Black Knights, was Gino, who looked around in complete and utter awe at everything around him.

Lelouch certainly hadn't been expecting the numbers Takashi presented him with; other than Takashi, there were only eight other operatives working here. There had apparently once been around two hundred members but they had all left for various reasons; some died in combat, some started families and left the war zone to find a ghetto that wasn't completely destroyed to settle down in, and others had simply gone mad after killing friends and family and disappeared into the woods, never to be seen or heard from again. Lelouch had to admit that he was impressed with what they had going here; especially given their terribly small numbers. _'No wonder they wanted the assistance of the Black Knights,'_ He thought to himself as he summed each of the new recruits under him up.

The second in command was a young man named Hiroshi. He was about a year younger than Takashi, who was about the same age as Lelouch. He had dark brown hair that was tugged back in a loose ponytail with a piece of white yawn. He had a long scar across his right cheek (a wound from when a grenade blew up a few feet away from him, if Lelouch remembered what he had said correctly) and the skin beneath his pitch black eyes was almost the same color, seeming to make them larger than they actually were. He seemed to be rather bony and malnourished, most likely due to everything he had been through. He was currently on rest since he had been injured recently, but he was normally their best agent when it came to gathering intelligence and delivering messages.

After him was their main medic, an older man by the name of Akira. Akira appeared to be in his late fifties, early sixties. He had thinning white hair that was well hidden under a white barett with a red dot on one side, meant to represent the Japanese flag. He wore a black cotton turtleneck sweater under a white lab coat and a pair of black slacks with that. His face seemed warm and kind, crinkles from smiling at the corners of his faded blue eyes. Apparent Akira was Takashi's grandfather and had been hunted by the Britannians shortly after their takeover of Japan. "I may not seem like it, but I know quite a few things that would help the Britannians take over the world much faster than currently," He had explained happily. Lelouch had been left to wonder if being happy was just a feature of the Higurashi line.

The next was a girl known as Kanon. She had long purple hair that was kept back in a long braid that swayed at her hips. She had a pear-like shape beneath a regular black tee shirt, denim jacket and a pair of black jeans. Her eyes were luminous silver from the looks of it, though Lelouch only got a quick look at them before she pushed a pair of sunglasses higher up on the bridge of her nose. She was their best (and only remaining) sniper, with the ability to land a head shot on an opponent up to seventy feet away. Tamaki had tried to tease the girl into speaking, only to have her shift her gun so that the muzzle rested between his eyes. "Bang," She had said in a flat, monotonous tone before pulling the trigger.

It was luckily empty, resulting in nothing more than a soft click that left Tamaki shaking and the front of his pants rather damp.

After her was a twelve year old boy known as Sora. He was said to be a genius computer hacker and was the leader of the techies in the base. This young boy was a few inches shorter than Lelouch with spiky orange hair. Behind his glasses his eyes were strangely enough black, which, for some reason, caused Lelouch to be reminded of a Jack-O-Lantern by the boy. He was wearing a long sleeved grey sweater that was too big for him and a pair of baggy blue jeans that he had to hold up with one hand. Lelouch was then informed that the final three members of the team, along with Sora, were the techies who had set up the defenses in the wild but had never gone out in combat.

Next was a girl that reminded Lelouch entirely of Nunnally. She had long blonde hair, most likely the same length as his sister, with vivid green eyes. She was about the other's age with an almost completely flat figure, much like his kin. She wore a strapless white dress that hugged just below her collarbone and splayed out to her ankles, fluttering like a freshly bloomed flower. She was very meek and sweet, bowing politely before slipping back to the monitors and watching for any activity from the enemy.

After her were the final two members of the group; a set of twins called Yuki and Hana, both about the same age as Kaguya just by looking at their height. Both had platinum blonde hair, though Hana's was longer since she was the female twin. Yuki, however, had powdery white eyes and his sister had bubbly pink eyes. They both wore a large forest green cargo jacket over a black and red striped shirt; the only difference was that Hana wore a black skirt that reached her knees and Yuki wore black shorts that went down just as far. Yuki was the more reserved while Hana was a social butterfly, happily shaking hands with anyone who would allow her to. Lelouch had a growing suspicion that Kaguya was most likely going to get along with the other girl.

"Thank you for introducing me to everyone and allowing us to stay here. If it not too much trouble, would it be alright if we went to our quarters to retire, though? I want to start planning out an attack strategy given we have the element of surprise with the thicket surrounding here," Lelouch said calmly. Takashi smiled and nodded happily, leading them down another corridor. In all honestly, Lelouch wasn't in the mood to make plans yet; he just really wanted to lie down and fully embrace all the information he had taken in for the day.

_Let me light up the sky,  
Light it up for you.  
Let me tell you why,  
I would die for you.  
Let me light up the sky. – __Light up the Sky_ by Yellowcard

…

"Hmm?" A small voice asked softly, glancing down at a cell phone in their pocket. It had beeped at him, signifying he had received a message. He pulled it out and checked the sender; it was his contact from Hokkaido.

"Zero and his troops have arrived; I'll send the false report from Area Three in the morning so that your arrival will not be suspicious," It said. He nodded wordlessly, perking up curiously when he saw an old woman watching him through large glasses with a smile on her lips. He flashed her a warm smile in return, knowing that he needed to blend in as well as he could.

"I should arrive in Tokyo in the morning; make sure to set the date up so that when I arrive in two days it'll all make sense," He sent back quickly. He snapped his phone shut and blinked when the old woman walked over, holding something in her hands. "Yes?" He asked politely, a smile returning to his lips.

"Would you like a cookie, dear? I baked some for my grandchildren but you look like you could use one as well," She said in a shaky but jovial tone of voice. He blinked a few times; mulling it over; he hadn't eaten since he had boarded his first flight and it would be rude to refuse such a kind offer.

"What type of cookies are they?" He asked, looking at the little plastic container in her hands. She sat next to her and opened them, pulling one out and holding it out to him. He took it and looked at it curiously.

"Chocolate chip," The old woman informed him before rising again. She smiled and waved, shuffling off happily. He perked up and spotted a group not too far away, consisting of a man, woman and two little girls wearing matching dresses. They rushed over and hugged the older woman's legs eagerly, gushing at her happily.

'_Why waste their time getting close to her? She'll wither away and die soon enough; being attached to her will only make it painful for them,'_ He thought to himself, nibbling gingerly at the edge of the cookie. He blinked a bit, surprised at how tasty the little confection was, before his phone vibrated. He continued nibbling away while pulling it out and reading it.

"I'll make it look like there was an error with the computers and the e-mail arrived late; just make sure you make it look like you ran into a little bit of physical trouble on the way. If it looks like you were attacked by Britannians you'll gain a sympathy vote and they'll be less suspicious of you. You could probably find a gang in Tokyo that would be willing to beat you up if you paid them well enough," It said. He glared at it and made a face. The thought of letting other people land blows on him… He then smirked a bit, deciding that he could always get himself beaten and then just kill them with the assistance of his Geass after all.

"Will do. Just make sure not to mess up on your end then," He sent back before getting up, turning off his phone and heading off. His flight had just been called, after all, and he simply couldn't miss this flight.

On the other end of the conversation, his informant snapped the phone shut and shoved it into his pocket angrily, glaring at the nearby wall. _'Why did I get stuck working with him? He may be the best assassin V2 has to offer but he's still a demoralized monster. Well, I guess that's fine since we need Zero taken out,'_ He thought with a small sigh. He jolted up when he heard footsteps approaching him.

"Hey, Hiroshi, you want to come and get something to eat?" Takashi asked with a smile. The other glanced up for a second before giving a small, tired smile back. He really didn't hate the other members of this rebellion group but he didn't agree with their cause. What would fighting against Britannia accomplish? After all, if they were polite and simply obeyed they could get places… Or at least rebuild their ghettos to a more tolerable degree the citizens wouldn't mind living in.

But instead the Japanese followed behind their false prophet, Zero, in hopes of winning an impossible battle.

"No thanks, Takashi. I'm actually feeling a little sick so I was going to just lay down and get some rest," He said calmly. The other blinked a few times, his brow wrinkling in concern.

"Did you want to go talk to my grandpa? You might be coming down with something," He fretted gently. It was times like this that Hiroshi almost felt bad about what he was preparing to do; Takashi was a caring leader who only did what he thought was best. It was because of this that Hiroshi wished the other was on the right side; he could be a great leader of the Honorary Britannians in the military if he were to accept it.

He shook his head. "It's less like nauseas and more like cramping. I think lying down will take care of it easily enough. Thank you, though," He smiled before waving and heading off. He slipped into his room, shut the door and let out a low sigh. He shook his head and walked over o his bed, flopping down. "They had their chance and they blew it. If they hadn't accepted Zero's help this wouldn't have to happen." He mumbled against his pillow before falling asleep.

End

Bonus Story: Dreams of Better Times

She smiled lightly at the little figure waddling toward her. "Lelouch~! Lelouch~! My little Lelouch~! Mommy loves her little Lelouch~! Come to Mommy, precious little Lelouch~!" She sang lightly, holding out her hands and scooping him up when he reached her. She gently cradled him to her chest, smiling back down at him.

She was currently lounging in the palace garden with her one and a half year old son. Charles was holding a meeting with the leader of a foreign land who wanted to join the Britannian Empire to try and avoid a hostile takeover; as a result, Empress Marianne had found herself with some free time to spend doting on her precious little boy. "Normally Daddy needs Mommy to help him so poor little Lulu gets stuck spending his time with nannies but not today! Today, Mommy gets to spend time with her little Lu!" She mused, flopping back in the grass and setting her son on her chest so that she could look up at him. He was wearing a black onesy with a hood in the back. The buttons were white and feet of the outfit were white as well. He was supposed to be wearing an extravagant outfit made of silk with the Britannian Empire seal on them, but she simply didn't like those clothes on him. "Babies should wear close that are nice and comfy, not stuffy clothes more suited for a noblemen." She said with a little pout, leaning up and giving him a little Eskimo kiss.

He giggled and twittered happily in response, amethyst spheres twinkling brightly in joy.

"Empress Marianne, what are you doing out here with Prince Lelouch?" A male voice asked worriedly. She glanced up in time to see a very familiar figure rushing toward her.

Jeremiah Gottwald was a new recruit to her personal protection squad, along with a young woman around his age known as Viletta Nu. The two were currently rushing over with concerned expressions. Jeremiah had lightly tanned skin, olive green hair and tangerine tinted eyes. He was well built and looked grand in the elaborate dark blue and gold uniform of her personal guard, even the long cape helping to make his shoulders look slightly broader.

Viletta Nu was a petite woman with mocha tinted skin. She was gifted with a nice figure that Marianne had a hunch would develop into the sort of body most famous models would dream of having. Her hair was long and bright silver, well complimented by her golden eyes, and it was tied up in bun. She sighed lightly and sat up, setting Lelouch in her lap calmly. "Hello, you two. How are you?" She asked cheerfully, flashing them a bright smile.

"Empress Marianne, what do you think you're doing out here with the young prince? His Highness made it clear that Lelouch is to remain inside and… What is he wearing? Where are the imperial robes he is supposed to be wearing?" The young man asked frantically, looking from the small infant and his mother frantically.

"Sir Jeremiah, Lelouch is fine with me out here. Before I was the Empress I was a knight of round and I know how to handle myself. Not only that, but those silly robes make Lelouch look like a little girl. Plus this is much more comfortable for him to walk around in, isn't it, sweetie?" She giggled, leaning down and kissing her infant's head lightly. He giggled lightly and reached up, his chubby little fingers resting on the sides of her face. "Oh, yes, Lelouch likes this better!"

"You really are quite the handful, aren't you?" Jeremiah sighed tiredly, his exhaustion causing him to slip up with his manners. He jolted up suddenly while Marianne laughed loudly, patting the ground near her with one hand.

"Oh, just drop the silly manners and sit down with me! I won't tell anyone as long as you'll just relax for a little while," She said with a small laugh. The two guards looked at one another worriedly for a brief moment before sighing and giving in, slipping down and resting on the grass with her. She smiled and lightly held up Lelouch toward the sky, his little face turned to her. "Isn't this nice, baby? We get to sit outside and enjoy the nice weather!" She beamed happily.

"He is awfully cute, Your Highness," Viletta agreed with a small smile, reaching one hand out lightly toward the little infant. She lightly poked one of his chubby cheeks, receiving a surprised little yelp in surprise. She giggled happily. "So cute~!" She mused lightly.

"Would you like to hold him?" Marianne offered. Her cerulean spheres then lit up and she giggled loudly. "Ah, Viletta, take Lelouch and sit in front of me! I want to do something for you!" She beamed, sitting up on her knees and holding her squirming baby out to the other woman.

The other woman blushed slightly before carefully taking the young prince and cradling her in his arms. She shifted so that she was sitting in front of her Empress, as she'd been told. She felt her hair being teased free of its tight bun. "Um, Your Majesty, what exactly are you planning to do?" She asked nervously.

"When I lived in Japan," Marianne began to explain calmly, "I used to be part of a fantastic group of strong young women. My best friend, a woman known as Rin Sumeragi, used to have this long, curly hair that she could never do anything with. So she used to let me style it for her, doing what I liked with it as long as it was kept out of her eyes so she could fight. Those… Were some of the best memories of my life." She mused delicately, combing through the other's long hair with her fingers. She shifted a long piece and pressed it to the front, then tilted Viletta's head back so that they were looking at one another eye to eye. She then shifted the other's woman's silver hair into a side-swiped part with her bangs in the front, sweeping it to slightly cover said eye. She then smiled and tilted the head back up and combed through the long white locks again. "You really shouldn't be so prim and proper all the time, Viletta; it'll make boys think you're dull and it'll make it harder for you to find your soul mate!" She clucked lightly like a mother hen. The other woman blushed brightly while Jeremiah chuckled lightly.

"I am more interested in climbing the ranks and leaving a good view of my family than finding someone to settle in with; my own journey has just begun," Viletta said softly, looking back down at the infant heir. She smiled fondly at him, reaching down with one hand and gently stroking the feathery soft black locks he was growing. "Although, I must admit, I do have a sore spot for children and do hope to have a few once I'm older."

"Believe me; child labor is well worth it," Marianne agreed as she finished up her task, tying the other's hair up in a long, thin ponytail. She beamed happily at her work. "There! Now your hair is cute, tidy and won't get in the way! Doesn't it look much better like this, Jeremiah?"

Said male blushed a little bit at the two women before looking off to the side. "It… It is a very charming style for you, Viletta," He mumbled softly. Marianne squealed lightly at this.

"Are you embarrassed, Jeremiah? That is absolutely adorable!"

…

Marianne blinked a few times, stirring as she awakened from her blissful dream. _'Ah… That was so long ago,'_ She thought as she sat up, running her fingers through the pink hair of her host body. She sighed and slipped out of the warmth of the sheets, walking toward the bathroom. She stared at herself in the mirror for a while.

Though she would never admit it, Marianne missed her own body quite terribly. She missed her long ebony tresses, her bright blue eyes, her pale complexion. She wasn't ungrateful for Anya's body or saying she found the girl unattractive; in all honesty, she found Anya to be terribly cute. With her soft pink air, vivid ruby gaze and milky white skin tone she was certainly a sight to behold, making any sensible man with a taste for woman drool a little. But Anya's body was that of a child, a girl yet to come of full age; Marianne missed her old figure, her hips slightly widened by child birth and her battle scars hidden by extravagant clothes.

"Well, I should just be grateful I have a body, eh?" She asked her reflection before stepping back and allowing Anya Alsteim's consciousness have control for a while so that she may resume her remembrance of before V2 in peace.

End

Bonus Story: Always Churning Shadows

"Big brother, where is Suzaku?" She asked timidly, tilting her head and shifting it toward where she knew the other figure was seated. It had been nearly a month since last Nunnally had spoken to Suzaku about the matter of locating Lelouch. She remembered, vaguely, that there had been a large commotion not too long ago. Whatever happened must have been rather severe, because she heard the knightmares were deployed to handle the situation. Currently she was having afternoon tea with Schneizel as her company.

"Suzaku has been rather busy lately, Nunnally. I'm sorry but he won't be able to talk with you for quite some time. If there was something you needed, however," The other male said in a calm and gentle tone, "I would not mind finding out anything for you." Something about his tone unnerved Nunnally a little bit.

Or perhaps it was just that Schneizel reminded her a lot of Lelouch, only he seemed less trustworthy to her.

"I just wanted to ask him if he had had a chance to look in to something for me, that's all," She said gently, picking up her tea cup and taking a small sip. She had to keep telling herself that no matter how nice he was being, he still hadn't tried to stop their father from tossing she and Lelouch to Japan when their mother died.

"Well, I spoke with Father a few days ago. He thinks there may be a way for you to regain your eye sight," He said with a small smile. She tilted her head upward a little more, to indicate she was interested. "There is a doctor who will be coming in a few days and thinks he may know a way to return your sight. Our next concern will be returning your ability to walk to you as well. Father feels that we should make use of the new developments in technology, after all." He said. She heard the soft clink of glass on glass, signifying that the other had either picked up or set their cup back down. She assumed that it was being lifted, given the slight pause before the other spoke again. "Wouldn't that be wonderful, Nunnally?"

"Yes, it would, big brother," She answered meekly, setting her own cup back down. She swallowed hard before speaking again. "Ah, may I ask one favor of you?"

"Of course, Nunnally, anything," The other said readily. She may have been a child but she knew how things had worked before; whoever pleased Father had the best chance of being selected to take over the Empire; and, for whatever reason, it seemed that Nunnally had now been made the key to pleasing him.

'_So I have become a tool, just as Lelouch feared,'_ She thought sadly. She had asked him once why they had been forced to change their name and slip into hiding at Ashford Academy. He had explained that returning home would only make them into puppets for their siblings to use against one another. She, being as naïve and sweet as she was, had told him that he was being overly cautious and that their family would only love them and be grateful they were alive; clearly she had been wrong in that belief, so very tragically wrong. "Would you be willing to see about getting me a thousand pieces of origami paper?"

"Ah, you like the feel of it, I assume? T is much more delicate than most paper I have been told," He said peacefully. She shook her head and she could almost envision the look of surprise lighting up his features at this. "Why else would you need this paper, Nunnally?"

"I may be trapped in a world of eternal darkness, Schneizel," She began to explain, her voice growing stronger, "but that does not mean that I must adhere to all the stipulations that go along with it. I have been taught through touch how to fold paper into cranes and currently hope to achieve a wish through those cranes."

"And what wish would you like? You can have anything you want now that you are home in Britannia," He responded peacefully. She heard him take a small sip of his tea, a small chuckle rumbling through his chest.

"If I tell you I fear it will not come true," She lied with a smile, tilting her head slightly. She knew it was bad to lie but it was a necessity to survival. Now that she was here, without Lelouch, she had to remain strong until she could be with him again. _'Because that is what you would want for me, right, nii-chan?'_ She thought, fighting back tears at the thought of her brother's warm hands or delicate voice telling her that it would all be okay.

End

I decided to do two bonus stories this chapter for a few different reasons; I wanted to do something about Marianne's past, I wanted to show what exactly Nunnally's doing without both of her support systems, and to have Jeremiah make a cameo. Why? Because he is filled with orange-y goodness~! Also, this chapter expresses more of what the plan for Lelouch is at the end of this fic… I know I've used him as the human sacrifice character before (Herd and Salvation and, technically, Against All Odds) but I might actually go through with killing him this time. Why? Well… Maybe if you all make sure to review I'll tell you~! Also, there is to be loads of Arthur, Pizza Hut and SuzaLulu fluff in the next chapter so you can all look forward to that~! ;D


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. I do own the plot. All songs used belong to their respective artists; in this chapter I used a huge chunk of lyrics at the end of this chapter, so I also underlined the chorus so that you'd know what was what. The story The Velveteen Rabbit belongs to Margery Williams. Also, here's a fluff/angst warning; there will be fluff and there will be some angst!

_If you'll be my star, I'll be your sky.  
You can hide underneath me and come out at night  
When I turn jet black and you show off your light.  
I live to let you shine.  
I live to let you shine.  
You can sky rocket away from me  
And never come back if you find another galaxy  
Far from here, with more room to fly.  
Just leave me your stardust to remember you by. __Boats and Birds_ by Gregory and the Hawk

Chapter Eleven

'_Something is wrong. He seems more… irritable than usual,'_ Suzaku thought to himself as he walked behind Lelouch. They were currently getting ready to head out and fight off an incoming Britannian troop. It was a ground unit of Honorary Britannians, as it usually was according to Takashi, but Lelouch seemed less interested in the information than he should have been. When Suzaku had awoken this morning, his two roommates (Lelouch and that contemptible witch) had been speaking to one another in hushed tones. He hadn't heard them, but judging by how Lelouch's tail rested beside him without flicking even slightly and how his ears were tipped lower than usual, he assumed the conversation was something bad. When he had asked about it, Lelouch had tried to smile and shrug it off. When this didn't work, and the brunette continued to pester him mercilessly for an answer, Lelouch had promptly answered with fury. After that, Lelouch had slipped into his Zero outfit and hadn't spoken a lick to the other male since. _'Normally he wouldn't switch to anger so quickly. I guess I could try to get the answer out of Cici, but she'll most likely give me a confusing lead around that won't really tell me anything. She seems to enjoy playing head games like that.'_

"Zero, how many will you be taking out with you?" Takashi asked as they entered the area with the knightmare frames. Lelouch continued to stride toward the Shinkiro, Cici hot on his heels.

"I will only be taking Suzaku, Kallen, and Cici with me; three knightmare frames should be more than enough to handle this squad. Keep the rest of the piloting Black Knights at the ready, however, in case the unexpected should occur and we need the reinforcements," He said smoothly.

'_Why not take them with us now, then? You aren't using your head as well as usual, Lelouch,'_ Suzaku thought worriedly, not speaking out for fear of earning himself even more rage from the other.

"Don't treat your life with such carelessness now, Zero; you seem to forget how very essential your survival is to the whole scheme of things. Takashi, please inform the other piloting Black Knights to get ready for deployment but let them know they are to stay well hidden during battle unless Zero specifically tells them to come out," Cici said with a small huff, looking over at the young Japanese leader calmly. He looked between she and Lelouch's retreating figure before nodding and heading off. Lelouch was in the Shinkiro by the time the other had left, meaning Suzaku would not have a chance to talk to him about what was going on in his head. "You can't surrender when our goal is so close at hand, Lelouch." He heard the witch tut as she headed n, the cockpit closing behind her.

Suzaku headed into the Lancelot without another word, hoping he might be able to get a private communication line between he and the Shinkiro while they waited for the other knights to arrive and prepare. The communication line was shut off, so he decided to try and wait it out; perhaps Lelouch was merely finishing a conversation with Cici, and he knew that he wouldn't be getting an answer if that was the case.

"You should tell him what's going on, you know," Cici commented when Lelouch shut off his communications system when Suzaku tried to get in touch with him. She was currently making sure that all the systems of the Shinkiro were running properly, given the fact it had to go through repairs after her battle with Jeremiah. She knew that it could run, given that she had gotten it from point A to point B, but she had no clue if all its weapons systems would work to full capacity or not. "He deserves to have some form of forewarning; when you end Geass, there's no guarantee that he will forget about you like you so strongly desire."

"If I told him what the plan is he'd try to stop it," He said bluntly, looking at the mask in his hands blankly. Zero… What would happen when he was gone? He knew that Euphemia and Suzaku would take care of Nunnally and do their best to repair the world but he wondered about his old friends. Would Shirley remember him, and the sins that he as Zero had committed against her? Would Rivalz remember the times they had snuck off campus to gamble together? Would Milly remember how much she had loved to dress him up in frilly clothes and strip him of what little masculinity he could call his own? These things were trivial, yes, but for some reason he was terribly curious about them more so than where the world would go to. "This plan is your chance at being human and being free of your Code; I would think you'd be the biggest supporter of my decision to keep him out of the loop of knowledge."

"I guess I just think he has the right to know that the love of his life will be dead for the same of the world soon," She said breezily after assuring herself that all systems were go. The other Black Knights were heading in, led by Takashi, and heading to their knightmares.

"He'll have Euphemia; that's all he's really wanted any way. He just settled for me because of the past and I was all he has right now," Something in Lelouch's tone made Cici flinch just the slightest bit. There was no emotion in his tone; it was hedged, calm and straight-forward like he always was. But to say something so very devastating (to his own feelings and heart, anyway) just seemed terribly tragic. "I will die so that he can have a future in which my Geass command to live will be void and unnecessary. If I had ever been able to make him truly happy, he wouldn't have needed said command in the first place."

"So that is how you see things between you two as they are currently?" She asked calmly, tossing a strand of hair over her shoulder. She shouldn't have really cared how things were, honestly; if this was how Lelouch thought it worked out better for her plans anyway. But still… She could see that he was wrong just by how the young Japanese boy watched Lelouch when no one else around (since Suzaku liked to pretend that Cici just wasn't there).

"Yes, it is. Do you have a problem with my thought process?" He pressed flatly, turning his head to glare at her slightly. His eyes glinted red for a second but she brushed it off since his Geass could not affect her anyway.

"No, not really. Just wanted to clarify everything on your end, is all," She said in a dismissive tone. She then looked around, realizing that the other Black Knights had taken to their own units. "You should put your helmet back on so that you can begin dishing out orders; they can't hear your real voice, after all." She mused lightly. She heard the other release a small noise, some cross between a scoff and a snort, before he did as she suggested.

For a moment, she merely pondered over how much she would truly miss this contractor of hers when he was gone.

…

There was silence in the room after they returned from their fight. It had been a good thing that Cici had suggested the other knightmares come with them right off the bat; instead of sending a foot unit along they had sent a unit of Britannian knightmare pilots as well. The battle hadn't taken long, though; Lelouch's quick observations on the way to the Hokkaido base had ended up giving them quite the upper hand and led to their victory. Though the ebony haired male had not seemed delighted in this fact in the slightest. After returning from battle, victorious, Lelouch had headed to his room to rest immediately. Suzaku got stuck celebrating with the others, simply because they were so thrilled that he really was on their side.

"Sorry; I got held up," Suzaku said, despite not being asked for an answer as to his lateness. Lelouch was currently lounging on the bed, resting on his stomach with his head turned slightly so that he could still see. Arthur was lounging on the long Zero cape, which had been tossed on the chair in the room casually. Suzaku was surprised to see that Cici was nowhere to be found; he assumed she must have gone out to hunt for some pizza. "Arthur's going to get his fur all over your cape."

"Hmm," Lelouch hummed quietly, closing his eyes. Suzaku swallowed hard, concern rushing through him even more at the reaction, before heading over. He crawled on to the bed next to Lelouch, laying on his side, and reached over. He set one of his hands behind one ear and began lightly scratching. Lelouch jolted up for a second, clearly surprised by the response, before he let out a small contented noise and closed his eyes again.

"You know, Lelouch, if something's bothering you than you can tell me," He said softly, continuing his ministrations. The other remained silent for a moment before he made a small noise in the back of his throat and shifted, moving and burrowing into Suzaku lightly. The other blinked, tilting his head slightly and pausing in his movements. "Lelouch?"

"I didn't say to stop rubbing my ear, did I?" Lelouch grumbled out lowly. Though his voice was meant to sound like a command and be slightly chastising, the exhaustion in it made it just sound more like a question or inconvenience. Suzaku resumed lightly rubbing his ear again calmly. "If something serious was happening you know I would tell you. The witch and I have just been butting heads on how to handle the invasion of Britannia. It's more of a nuisance than I had been hoping it would be; from the looks of it, we may liberate Japan and then go straight for the jugular. Plus there are a few other little details we'll need to handle once the time comes that she didn't mention until just recently and I'm trying to find a way to make it all work out."

"She certainly does have a bad habit of rubbing you the wrong way, doesn't she?" He asked calmly, leaning down and gently brushing his lips over Lelouch's forehead. He glanced down and saw that the other was relaxed, eyes still shut, and seemed content. He was grateful for this simply because he worried about Lelouch driving himself mad with keeping everything inside all the time.

'_You should tell him the truth, Lelouch,'_ A voice nagged in the back of Lelouch's head. He shut his eyes tighter, clenching to Suzaku more. Of course Cici was going to stick her nose where it didn't belong; that was one of her favorite things to do, after all. _'You know that it would make things easier if it all doesn't go the way we want it to.'_

'_Why won't you let me handle things the way I would like? I am the one that will bring about the end of your eternity of life, am I not?'_ He asked angrily, trying his best not to lash out verbally. His ears, however, had flattened and Suzaku was beginning to fret like usual. He ignored the other's soft, soothing words. _'I can take that chance away from you if you keep pressing me like this. I can end my own life without any sort of warning to any of you.'_

There was a brief pause and his ears perked back up, eyes slowly opening in relief. _'I am just making a suggestion; no need to overreact as you seem so fond of,'_ She answered before her presence was completely out of his head. He released a small sigh and closed his eyes again.

"That witch needs to learn to mind her own business every now and again," He grumbled lowly. Suzaku perked up at this.

"She was using that connection between the two of you to harass you more?" He asked in shock. He knew that Cici enjoyed taunting the young ex-prince but he didn't think she'd go so far (or, rather, he didn't think she was so lazy) as to press into the young male's head to bother him on the matter further. "How rude."

"Quite. But for now she is sated; she'll leave me to my peace of mind for some time now and hopefully it'll be long enough for me to recollect my arguments. Until then, however, I would much rather enjoy your company and warmth," He said calmly. He nuzzled closer again, wanting to take advantage of these moments while he could. _'I won't be around forever. And you won't remember this.'_ He thought sadly as he shut his eyes.

"Well, I aim to please. Plus you're so cute when you want to cuddle," Suzaku grinned lightly, wrapping his arms tightly around Lelouch and breathing in his scent.

Lelouch briefly wondered if Cici had known what would occur between them and offered him the Geass in hopes of tearing them apart, opening his eyes a small crack. He then tossed that thought aside because he knew that Cici was simply doing what Marianne and Rin had wanted her to do. _'She isn't a spiteful person, but I do think that she wants an escape, no matter the costs. I guess ruining my hopeful future with Suzaku doesn't matter to her as long as she gets her happily ever after,'_ He thought sadly, reserving himself back to his own mind with the calm close of his eyes.

_After you came into my life, the cycle then began to stop.  
Could you please give me some response?  
You're making it hard to breathe. – __Coward Mont Blanc_ by Gumi (Megpoid)

…

"Hello, Lelouch," Cici mused when she returned to the room, a slice of pizza in one hand and a can of tuna in the other. She peeled open the can, making a face, and then set it on the ground. Arthur threw himself upon it happily. "I brought that tuna for Arthur like you asked. Oh, did Suzaku fall asleep?" She asked curiously, glancing over at them.

Lelouch was currently flopped on his side with Suzaku's face pressed into the crook of his neck and the other's arms around his waist. He glanced over, ears twitching slightly, and nodded. "Yeah. I fell asleep first and I guess I moved in my sleep. I know I didn't fall asleep like this," He said calmly, pressing his head against the pillow a little bit more. He then looked up at her through his bangs. "So what did you need? I have a feeling you didn't just come here to give Arthur the tuna I asked you to get him over an hour ago."

"Hmm. Right, as always. Ohgi and Takashi," She said calmly as she sat in the chair previously occupied by the cat, "wanted you to come and meet another new guest. He claims his name is Adam and that he's from Area Three. He says he was sent by his rebellion group leader to see if you'd go assist them after liberating Japan or something." She shrugged, amber eyes glinting slightly. He knew what that meant immediately and calmly slipped free of Suzaku's grasp, grateful that the other didn't stir. She stood after polishing off what was left of the pizza crust, tossing the Zero cape over her own shoulders. She began to move this way and that, impersonating Lelouch's own actions in the past a bit. "So would you like me to come with you, since your Master is sleeping over there?" He mused as she held her hands out as if asking for a hug and twirled on her toes.

"If you would like to," He began as he approached her, "and Suzaku is not my Master." He snatched the cape off of her shoulders mid-spin and placed them on his own. She used her heels to stop her spin so that she was looking at him. "He was in charge of my safety when we were on that damn military base and now he is my boyfriend. Or, as far as the other Black knights know, he was my secret agent and close colleague in fighting for Japan's liberation."

"Yes, and he is also the one whose eyes you are shielding with a fluffy coating of black wool," She said casually. He glared at her before slipping on his helmet and heading toward the door. The green haired woman paused in the doorway and turned. She pointed at the eating cat. "You're in charge until we get back." She announced calmly. She received a bland meow before the cat resumed the process of enjoying his meal.

"He agreed with you, by the way," Lelouch commented after the door shut behind her. They began the walk down the hallway. "I assume that this other guest is in the main room, yes?"

"Yes, they wanted to wait until you had seen him to decide on what to do with him; the message they received arrived late because their server was down for a day or two but the boy is right on time," She said calmly. She looked around before continuing on. "He seems like he had a rough time getting here. His clothes are dirty and he has a few little cuts and bruises. That old doctor took care of the wounds for him but they don't know if that's as far as they should permit their hospitality."

"And since I am the most influential leader here they decided to leave the decision to me," He finished with a small sigh. He tugged on his gloves a bit, making sure they were on as fit as they could go, simply out of slight annoyance. He had agreed to come and help push the fight from Hokkaido and then back to Tokyo (though he knew after Japan was free he had more important matters to tend to) but he hadn't been planning to move the fight to another location. He had actually been hoping that when he took V2's Code and his Father power back to return to Geass itself, he was putting all his hope into the thought that Cici would be right in guessing that Geass would grant him one wish in exchange for removing the terrible power from Earth to restore peace; erasing all the terrible sins that had been committed by Euphemia and leaving a fake will from his Father deeming she as his successor would bring about a truly peaceful world.

He wasn't completely naïve, however, and knew there would be snags in the road; but that was what Suzaku was for.

Suzaku was headstrong, physical powerful and yet also very delicate at heart and a rather sweet spirit. He reminded Lelouch a lot of a dog; playful and energetic one moment and then ready to bite off your hand the next. He would be the loyal guard dog to Euphemia; and, most likely, become her lover over time. _'They… Have always been much better together than he and I. Cats and dogs disagree, after all; Euphemia and him are both akin to dogs with their optimistic yet strong ways,'_ He thought sadly, closing his eyes lightly. His fists clenched slightly as well, causing Cici to perk up. _'And I… I am the cat sitting in the window; always watching and observing, but too proud to join in the merriment and live for the moment, too caught up in pondering over how much longer I have until I take a nap I will never awaken from.'_

'_I hope you don't mind,'_ Her voice announced in his head, _'but I think this is how we should communicate for the time being. We can discuss the matter of this newcomer and then, later, we can further discuss our plan for taking out your Father and V2 without Suzaku overhearing anything.'_

'_Why should I mind? You've slipped into my mind many times before; this time you just have a valid reason for doing so,'_ He retorted with a small snort. She smiled and chuckled lightly at this, nodding a bit, as they entered the communications and research room.

The foreign recruit seemed to be exactly what Lelouch had been anticipating; petite, young and with a look of vulnerability that would make any filthy old man with some naughty habits they hid creaming their pants. He had violet orbs in a shade almost disgustingly similar to Lelouch's (perhaps the illegitament love-child of his Father and a foreign woman? Or perhaps one of his older siblings? Some of them were in their thirties; the math could make sense) with hair a dusty and light brown. It was cut in a crop that was usually hard for many people to pull off but looked rather cute on him. He was wearing a long sleeved red shirt, black jeans and a large brown coat that drafted him. The pale skin that was revealed, however, showed a few bandages here and there on him. "I ran in to a little trouble on my way from Tokyo; there were a few Britannians who don't care much for my home land," The young boy explained in a soft voice, a small and nervous grin turning up at the corners of his mouth.

"So you are Adam, from Area Three?" He asked politely, tilting his head up to look at the young recruits face after summing him up; petite and delicate, not seeming like the type to send on such a journey alone. This fact sent red warning alarms off in Lelouch's head and, judging by how Cici stood a little straighter, he assumed she could sense it as well.

"Yes, I was sent with a special message to deliver to you from my group, Zero," He said gently, a wicked glint coming to his eyes. In one flash, the whole room stopped moving, causing Rolo to smirk. His Geass really did come in handy; he could just kill Zero now and then get out before anyone knew any better. "A special message that only those who cross Master V2 receive; you should feel honored." He hummed to the unmoving figure as he pulled out a small pocket knife.

"V2 must be growing complacent in his old age; normally he wouldn't send an uneducated child to handle something of such dire importance," Rolo tensed as the green haired woman beside Zero moved, one hand coming to her hips and her head cocking to one side. Her eyes glinted dangerously before she tilted her head more, a few lime locks tipping back over her shoulder to rest against her back. "Then again, V2 seems to have forgotten that I would be here and that Geass does not affect me, since I am also an Immortal."

"So you are Cici," Rolo growled lowly, taking another step forward. He had been hoping it would frighten her, but instead she merely side-stepped so that she was between he and Zero. "You do realize I could just kill you and then kill him, right?"

She smirked, reaching into one of her long prisoner outfit sleeves and pulling out a gun. She cocked it and aimed it at him, making sure that it would hit him in the stomach. "Yes, you could try that, but I can't die, like you. One push on this trigger and it'll be the end of you; I have a growing suspicion that your Geass will halt if you get injured because your concentration will waver," She mused lightly. He growled, fist tightening on the hilt of the knife. He shrugged calmly, waving the gun about casually. "It seems that we are at an impasse, don't you agree?" She purred musically.

"I assume, given your tone," He said cautiously, lowering his knife a bit, "that you must have something up your sleeves if you say that. Some sort of deal that will keep us from this apparent deadlock?" She smirked lightly but kept the gun raised.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," She mused. She indicated his knife with her gun, glancing down at it and then back at his face. "First, close your knife, drop it to the ground and kick it to me. I wouldn't want you getting any funny ideas." The young male did as he was told, holding his hands up and keeping a glare on his features. She put her foot over it and slowly dipped down, picking it up without looking. She knew better than to look away from an opponent, even an unarmed one, if they were sent by V2. "You obey all of V2's commands, yes?"

"He is my Master; he gave me my Geass, my purpose and a life that is better than most like me. I owe him my unwavering loyalty at the very least," He informed her calmly. She nodded wordlessly, her smirk growing slightly. "But you must be asking for a reason other than just curiosity."

"Yes, I am. You see," She trailed lightly, "I think I know a way you can show your appreciation to V2 more so than by simply following his orders."

"What do you suggest?" Rolo asked after a brief pause. If she knew a way he could give V2 much more than he had asked for, give the other male what he truly deserved, than he was willing to at least hear her out.

"Build up trust here and, when Zero goes to end the Emperor, kill him right in front of V2," She said calmly. He blinked a few times, his eyes narrowing at her suspiciously. "You act as if I am lying to you but you don't seem to realize that this boy is extremely replaceable to me; I could easily go out and forge a contract with twenty others in a single hour. The only way I have stayed with him this long is because he was my only option. Not only that, but Zero will listen to anything I say. If I tell him that you are of no threat and could be of great use to his cause, he'll make sure you are well cared for and given anything you want. You'll be treated like a king and then, after you betray Zero, that treatment will be continued on by V2."

"And what do you want in return?" He asked flatly, knowing that there must have been a catch of some sort. Rolo was not an idiot; he knew there was nothing free in this world. The only difference in situations was what the currency you used was; money, a favor, blood, or a life. "You wouldn't suggest such a thing without making sure to reap a benefit or two for yourself first."

"Very clever," She said calmly, holding up his knife and wagging it in the air lightly. She tossed it to him and he caught it calmly, putting it back where it belonged in his pocket. He felt much better with the familiar weight in his pocket, despite the lack of warm liquid on his fingers or dampening the inside of his pants from where the knife was resting. "Kill your informant here; I know for a fact someone is in on it with you and you'll make sure to remove them and cover your tracks perfectly. The last thing I need is suspicions being raised. The only other thing I want from you is your promise to leave a certain individual out of your path of chaos. I don't care if it's while you're here or after you return to obey V2; you will leave this person be or I will see to it personally that you are taken down." She warned, eyes narrowing and her smirk changing into a flat line. All traces of humor were long gone.

"These things can be done easily enough and they shall be. And who is this person?" He asked calmly. She returned the gun to its previous hiding place.

"Kallen Koizuki, pilot of the knightmare frame Guren. If you so much as lay one finger on her, shift even one piece of hair, I will make you wish you had never been born," She warned darkly, glaring at him. Rolo nodded calmly, understanding her meaning, and then released his Geass hold on those around him. _'Hurry this up; we have a lot to discuss in private,'_ Cici thought hurriedly to Lelouch. He made sure to keep his body still, letting nothing be given away, and nodded toward "Adam".

"I do not see why I cannot give your group my assistance once my duty here in Japan is completed, Adam," Lelouch said calmly, noticing how the other's eyes lit up in joy. He scowled behind his helmet, feeling as if there was something off about the joy. "For now, however, I believe you've more than earned a hot meal, warm bath and comfy bed to sleep in. There is a room for him to rest and recollect his strength in, yes, Takashi?" He asked, shifting his attention to the Japanese male a few feet away.

"Of course," He smiled. He reached over and gently set his hand on the other's shoulder, causing him to jolt slightly in surprise and glance up. He was rewarded with a bright smile. "Come on, Adam, I'll take you to the mess hall so that you can feel up! You look like you could use a good, hot meal!" He beamed, leading the other away. Ohgi glanced back at Lelouch for a second, a concerned scowl on his lips, before following Takashi to the mess hall.

'_So what seems to be so important now?'_ Lelouch asked as he turned and headed back down the hallway they'd come through. Cici remained silent for a moment before she followed after him, a few steps behind. He stopped and waited until she was at an even pace with him. _'So what is it?'_ He asked again, a little less impatient sounding this time.

'_That boy has Geass, the ability to stop time, and is working for V2,'_ She said blandly. He let out a small noise of surprise before she continued. _'He was sent to kill you but luckily enough I was able to strike up a deal with him. All you have to do is make sure he's taken care of to his every last whim and things should be fine. I convinced him to make the deal with me in exchange for your head on a silver plate.'_

'_Lovely. It's good to know that even my comrades want to see me dead,'_ Lelouch thought snidely, glaring as the hallway as they walked. Cici rolled her eyes and made a small huffing noise back at him.

'_He's going to be our ticket in to the palace to kill your Father and V2; I told him he could get in V2's good graces if he killed you in front of V2. I told him if he just did two things for me than I'd help him with getting V2 to treat him like royalty,'_ She explained, a small spark of annoyance to her tone. They both paused in front of the door to their room, standing across from one another and merely staring at one another. _'We just need to make sure to keep up the bluff and hope to God he doesn't decide to go against his word. I just hope his desire to impress V2 is more powerful than his desire to follow his orders.'_

'_I guess… So this means that I have yet another hurdle in my way toward accomplishing my tasks. How very disheartening,'_ He thought with a heavy sigh. Cici could tell that he was worn to the wire but she did have final thing to bring up with him and she simply could not let it slip past.

'_I think that, given where things stand now, you should tell Suzaku the truth. It's the only way to assure that he'll take care of himself, regardless of that Geass you placed on him or not,'_ She thought back sternly. Lelouch paused for a moment, and she could already tell he was getting annoyed with him, but she simply didn't care. _'Look, I'm not telling you what to do; I'm merely making a suggestion.'_ She said, turning and beginning to head off.

'_What did you ask that assassin for in return for my life?'_ Lelouch asked curiously, watching as the witch paused. She turned and looked at him calmly.

'_He's going to kill the informant that was staying here and watching out for V2,'_ She began calmly, _'and I made him swear that no matter what he will not lay a finger on a single head on Kallen's head.'_

Lelouch smirked and chuckled lightly as this. _'I had a feeling you were interested in Kallen in a more-than-allies way,'_ He said in a surprisingly cheerful tone. Despite everything he had been through, he did consider Cici his accomplice and a good friend; knowing that there would be someone to take care of her after he was gone was rather reassuring and relaxing. Cici chuckled and waved as she started off down the hallway.

'_Well, to explain it like a good friend of mine did not too long ago, I'm a sucker for blue eyes,'_ She answered. Lelouch smiled then turned and looked at his door, a concerned scowl on his lips. He was less than excited about what he was about to do, but he also knew it had to be done; Cici had reminded him of just how important Suzaku's safety was to him.

He walked in and wasn't surprised that Suzaku was awake, currently trying to get Arthur to play. The cat responded by turning so that his rear was facing the young Japanese male. "Where did you run off to?" Suzaku asked curiously, glancing through his bangs at the other. Lelouch removed his helmet after the door shut and set it on the table. He then flopped down in the chair and looked over at Suzaku, expression completely serious.

"We need to talk," He said calmly. Suzaku blinked, a small spark of fear in his eyes, but he didn't try to stop Lelouch from speaking. The ebony haired male shifted his gaze to his hands, resting in his lap, and his ears flattened slightly. "There are some things I haven't been exactly forth coming with and it's time came forward with the truth for you. Before we left Britannia, during my last day in the underground lab where Lloyd's experiments were, I had an interesting conversation with one. The individual was like me; their DNA had been fused with those of an animal. For them, however, it had been a dog and I personally thought it was a good match for her. After all, Euphemia always has been a rather bubbly individual like most dogs. Wouldn't you agree, Suzaku?"

Lelouch was sent toppling out of the chair when Suzaku's fist collided with the side of his face. "How could you keep this to yourself for so long? I could have saved her when I went o get Nunnally! At least that way my mother's death wouldn't have been in vain!" He snapped angrily, entire figure shaking with the effort to control himself. Sure, he had just punched Lelouch, but he could do so much worse.

"She's a lot safer where she is than here with us and you know it," Lelouch said calmly, meeting the other's gaze. He was trying to remain composed, locked into himself, but it was hard when his worst fears were being realized. Thankfully, Lelouch vi Britannia was a master at the art of pretending. "And I didn't tell you before because I couldn't; up until Kamina Island I was unable to speak other than little cat noises here and there."

"Then what was holding you back after that? You should have told be as soon as you were able to!" He growled lowly, his shaking become more severe. He closed his eyes tightly and turned his head away, trying to figure out what to do with this new knowledge. Yes, he loved Lelouch but he also held love for Euphemia; it may not have been the kind of love she wanted but it was still a deep-rooted emotion and he had loyalty toward them both. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at Lelouch with a small glare on his features, much like the look he had given the other at Kamina Island. "I will help you get to Pendragon but then I'll be returning to my duties as Euphemia's knight." He said before turning and leaving the room. He would see if Gino would let him stay in his room; being around Lelouch would just be too difficult right now.

'_I see you took a different route than I suggested. Are you trying to make that boy hate you just so he won't be hurt when you are gone?'_ Cici's voice asked with a tired sigh. Lelouch gently lifted one hand and cupped where Suzaku had struck him, a humorless laugh bubbling from his throat.

'_How can he miss someone he won't remember?'_ Lelouch asked her. Cici stayed silent, letting him continue on with his rant. _'I'm doing this to protect him. You said it yourself; that assassin boy can't be trusted. If Suzaku seems to be of importance to me he could make a move to harm him. Sure, Suzaku's got my Geass command to live, but I don't think that would cancel out that bastard's ability to stop the flow of time. This works out perfectly for everything; Suzaku will be safe and he won't need to be informed about my plans after my Father has been killed. Now you don't have to worry about it, right?'_ He asked in a tone that sounded just a hair off of hysterical.

'_You really are going insane from isolation, aren't you?'_ She asked worriedly. She normally didn't really care when her contractors went insane unless it directly affected her. If Lelouch was, in fact, losing his mind, she was going to have to begin surveying him around the clock to assure he was still breathing.

There was a small pause before she heard him let out another hollow chuckle. _'Perhaps I am,'_ He said and then fell silent. Cici sighed and rose from her position seated on Kallen's bed; the two were going to go look around the woods and get a better feel of the area.

"I'm going to go check on Lelouch, okay? He didn't seem to be feeling very well earlier and something tells me he isn't in a good place right now," She said calmly. Kallen perked up as she walked out of her bathroom, wearing her old terrorist clothes from before her days as a Black Knight. She had a worried frown on her lips.

"Okay. I'll go see what I can find out and then afterwards I'll bring some pizza to you and Lelouch's room so that we can all eat. Three pizzas should feed four people, right?" She asked curiously.

"It'll only be three of us and I think that'll be fine. Thanks, Kallen," She smiled before waving and heading off quickly, not stopping to answer the red-head's calls and questions. She glared as she walked down the hallway. _'I'm coming back to the room; no funny business until I get there, okay?'_ She asked, hoping that Lelouch would answer.

'_I'll try to avoid dancing naked on the table like I was hoping, but I make no promises,'_ He said in a flat tone of voice. Cici released a small, relieved sigh at this; Lelouch was being snarky, which was a healthy sign for him. She only hoped that his attitude would change and shift if he was thinking of doing any self-mutilation.

_Emily will find a better place to fall asleep.  
She belongs to fairy tales that I could never be.  
The future haunts with memories that I could never have  
But hope is just a stranger wondering how it got too bad.  
__I die each time you look away.  
My heart, my life, will never be the same.  
This love will take my everything.  
One breath, one touch, will be the end of me.__  
You could be the final straw that brings me back to earth.  
Ever-waiting airports full of the love that you deserve,  
Wishing I could find a way to wash away the past,  
Knowing that my heart will break, but at least the pain will last.  
__I die each time you look away.__  
__My heart, my life, will never be the same.  
This love will take my everything.  
One breath, one touch, will be the end of me.__  
Emily will find a better place to fall asleep.  
Maybe she will save me in the oceans of her dream  
And maybe someday live.  
Maybe someday live.  
Maybe someday live. – __Love Song Requiem_ by Trading Yesterday

End

Bonus Story: Dreams of Yesterday

Lelouch watched out the cracked window of the small shack the Kururugi's had given he and Nunnally to stay in as the young Kururugi heir, named Suzaku, headed over with a somewhat nervous expression on his face. Yes, the banished prince was grateful to the other boy for helping him find Nunnally three days ago in the rain but he was unsure what exactly it was between the three of them. "Is something wrong, Big Brother?" Nunnally asked worriedly. Lelouch had been in the process of reading her one of the many stories in her fairytale collections book, The Velveteen Rabbit, and had fallen silent upon sight of the Japanese boy approaching the house.

"Oh, sorry Nunnally. I just need to go check something really fast, okay?" He asked while setting the book on their little table. She tilted her head, face still expressing concern, but she nodded. He gave her cheek a quick peck before stepping outside and glaring down at the brown-haired male standing a few feet from the door. Lelouch also made sure to shut the door, not wanting Nunnally to hear any of this. "What do you want?" He asked in his usual cold tone of voice.

"I just… I wanted to make sure Nunnally was okay," The other mumbled, shifting and looking at his sandals. Lelouch raised an eyebrow, his arms crossing over his chest.

"She's fine; luckily enough she made it back here and was tended to before she could catch a cold or anything like that," He said, trying to make it sound like Suzaku had helped as little as possible. The other glanced up, jade orbs twinkling with joy, before he sighed lightly.

"That's… Really good. I'm glad she's okay," He said before turning to walk away. Something in Lelouch told him that the other had a second reason but the other was keeping it trapped inside.

"Would you like to come in? Nunnally mentioned wanting to thank you for your help and I was simply reading her a story," He said politely, shifting his posture. He stood sideways, glancing over at Suzaku, and let his hand rest on the doorknob. The other paused and turned, blinking as he gazed at him. "If you don't mind listening to a story, that is. It's Nunnally's favorite and I promised I'd read it to her today." Lelouch briefly wondered why he felt so pressed to explain further but tossed the thought aside to keep up his poker face.

"Sure," Suzaku said slowly, walking over. Lelouch opened the door as Suzaku headed up the steps, leaving it wide open as an invitation to continue through the threshold. Lelouch walked back to the table, resuming his previous perch, and gave Nunnally's hands a little pat.

"Nunnally, Suzaku had come over to enjoy the story with us. I hope you don't mind," He said delicately, smiling despite knowing his sister would not see it. She perked up a little more and Lelouch was stunned that he wasn't completely put off by the bright, excited smile that came to his sister's lips.

"I don't mind at all! Suzaku's really here? Where is he?" She asked eagerly. Lelouch glanced over his shoulder as Suzaku, who had been standing awkwardly by the door, jolted up in surprise. Lelouch smiled and tilted his head, indicating the other chair to Nunnally's other side. Getting the hint, Suzaku walked over and shifted into the seat, causing Nunnally to turn her head toward him. Her smile remained in place. "Thank you for helping me the other day; I promised Lelouch I wouldn't run off like that ever again." She said happily, holding her free hand out toward him. He blinked, then smiled lightly and took it.

"It was my pleasure to help," He said happily. Lelouch smiled as well and used his free hand to trace the sentences back to where he'd left off.

"Lelouch?" Nunnally asked suddenly, causing him to look back up. She was still smiling but still seemed a little uneasy. "Would you mind starting the story over from the beginning? Suzaku didn't get to hear the first part and I don't think that's fair." She said in a meek tone, concerned she may upset her older sibling.

"No problem, Nunnally," He said with a smile, shifting back to the title page. He smoothed it over with his hand before clearing his throat. "Okay, this is the story of The Velveteen Rabbit." He announced. He didn't know if Suzaku had ever even heard of the story, considering The Velveteen Rabbit was a story written by an English-American woman, but he thought the other might enjoy it the same. After a brief pause he began to read the pages, making sure not to mispronounce a single syllable. "'But he never knew that it really was his own Bunny, come back to look at the child who had first helped him to be Real,'" Lelouch said finally, looking up from the pages and blinking in shock.

Suzaku's eyes were brimming over with tears and, though he was trying to blink them away, a few of them were straying down over his cheeks. "That story is so… so!" Suzaku yelped, unable to really explain how he felt after hearing the little tale, while lifting his other arm and wiping his tears on the long sleeve of his hakama.

"It's a bitter-sweet tale, yes?" Lelouch offered gently as he thumbed through the pages, looking for another of Nunnally's favorites. He paused and checked the table of contents, using his hand to keep his page. "Because at first you fear the rabbit will not get his wish, but then you are so overjoyed that he does it makes you want to weep. Am I correct?" He glanced up, amethyst spheres twinkling lightly, when he saw that the other was beginning to recollect himself.

"Yeah… I guess you are right," He smiled lightly, causing Lelouch to blink. The young Britannian then turned his attention back to the book and trying to find the next story he would read.

"Kururugi Suzaku, if you don't come out here this instance you're asking for a world of hurt!" A stern, annoyed female voice suddenly declared, causing Suzaku's body to go rigid. He looked suddenly like a deer in head lights.

"Oh, no! That's my mom! I totally forgot that I was supposed to go do extra conditioning with Toh-Doh-Sensei today!" Suzaku yelped in fear, jumping away from the table and heading toward the door. Lelouch blinked, then gave Nunnally's hand a quick pat to signify he was going to follow him. He was just a step behind the other boy out the door.

Kururugi Rin was clad in traditional Japanese attire like her son; she wore a light blue kimono with little yellow triangles all over it. Her hair was tugged back in a bun with a pair of black chopsticks and she was wearing the usual sandals that went with her current attire. She perked up when she saw the two boys, preparing to rim in to her young son, until the other boy stepped up and cleared his throat. "My apologies, Lady Kururugi," He said politely. Suzaku looked back at him in surprise. "Nunnally and I wanted to thank Suzaku for doing us a favor a few days ago and held him up from his training. Please do not be angry with him."

"Well, thank you for telling me, Lelouch," She said with a small sigh. She then looked at Suzaku and pointed to her side, the young boy rushing to her side like a good boy, and smiled lightly at the paler boy. "You were clearly well-raised by your mother. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask." She said gently.

"T-Thank you," Lelouch said quickly, a small flicker of what Suzaku swore was pain crossing his eyes, before the other headed back in to tend to his little sister.

"Mother," Suzaku began slowly as he walked, clutching his mother's hand lightly, "why did he seem so upset about what you said? It wasn't like you were saying anything mean either."

"Well, Suzaku, it's all very complicated," Rin sighed lightly. She then paused and looked down at her son, receiving a bemused stare in return. "You mean… Your father hasn't discussed any of this with you?"

"Not really, no," He answered calmly. Rin lightly massaged the bridge of her nose with her free hand, the other still holding her son's hand.

'_I swear to God… This man claims he wants Suzaku to follow in his footsteps in yet he keeps in the dark. Or, rather, he only tells him half-truths out of the desire to keep Suzaku thinking just like him. That bastard really is trying to turn my little chickie into his replica; well, I guess I'll simply have to assure that Suzaku is informed off the whole truth then,'_ She thought before she began to walk again. Suzaku quickly patted along beside her. "Well, I don't see any harm in explaining it to you, so I'll tell you what you father isn't. As you already know, Lelouch and Nunnally are Britannian royalty that were sent here to work as bargaining chips in case of emergency. Well, the Emperor of Britannia was the one who sent them here. You see, Empress Marianne was recently assassinated; young Nunnally was there when it happened and was crippled by a few bullets hitting her spinal cord and went blind for the horror of the whole incident. Lelouch approached his father about it and, when his father responded with disinterest at the news of his wife's murder and daughter's condition, Lelouch retracted his claim to the throne and insulted his father. Because of his, the Emperor sent there here where they would be out of his way." She said calmly, watching her son's reaction.

She wasn't really surprised at the horror that came to his little face.

"Why would he do that? He's their father; he's supposed to love them and protect them! He's supposed to make sure that they are take care of and happy!" He said in disbelief. She answered by pausing in front of the dojo where Toh-Doh was waiting and kneeling. She lightly cupped Suzaku's face and kissed his forehead.

"It's good that you recognize that it's wrong; sadly, though, not all children are given parents that are very interested in their best interests," She said. Suzaku blinked then a determined look crossed his features.

"I'm going to make them happy from now on! I'll become their friend and help erase all the pain and bad stuff!" He announced proudly, awarding himself with a small grin from his mother. He then ran off toward the dojo, waving to her before heading in. She waved back politely, then sighed and turned to head off, wondering briefly if her son really could accomplish such a task.

Then again, he was the son of Kururugi Rin, one of the most powerful women in all of Japan; she had an inkling that her son would accomplish this task and so much more in his future.

End

Ah, I love little Suzaku so much~! Especially when he interacts with Rin~! Well, this chapter ended up being more angsty than I intended original; you can thank the music I listen to while writing this story for that, though. Also, two bits of bad news… One; the next chapter will be even more angst-ridden than this one. And, we're in the home stretch on this one. With what I have planned, there will be three more chapters to follow this one, and one of them will be more like an epilogue than an actual chapter. For now, however, I'd like to ask a question of you, my dear viewers, for ou to answer me before my next update~!

The song I used at the end, Love Song Requiem by Trading Yesterday; who do you think I had in mind when selecting this song? Hint: There are two answers~!


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. I do own the plot. All songs used belong to their respective artists. Also, Bismarck might be a little OOC in this chapter but it's because… Well, he's one of the villains. On another final note, a lot of the fight scenes will not be included simply because I cannot write action very well; I'm better at the psychological warfare.

_Do the things that you always wanted to  
Without me there to hold you back, don't think, just do.  
More than anything I want to see you, girl,  
Take a glorious bite out of the whole world. – __You Could be Happy_ by Snow Patrol

Chapter Twelve

The next two months were the longest of Suzaku's life. He hadn't spoken to Lelouch aside from the orders issued out during combat. Whenever the day was won, Lelouch and Cici would slip away to their room (with Kallen in occasional accompaniment) and the young prince wouldn't return until the next battle. Suzaku was worried about the other, but his pride refused to let him inquire about it. He was currently sitting with Gino in the cafeteria of the Black Knights Tokyo base (because they had managed to push the Britannian forces this far as of the last week) wondering if he should just give in and see the other. _'He did lie to me about Euphemia but at the same time I keep saying I love him more… Reacting like this over what he said most likely has him completely confused,'_ He thought, fighting back a sigh while nibbling on a piece of a sandwich.

"What's up, Suzaku?" Gino asked curiously, tilting his head at his brown haired companion. Suzaku glanced up to answer, and then blinked when he saw Cici enter. She walked past the tables quietly, approaching the head chef and talking to him softly so no one would hear. Suzaku watched as the man nodded, disappeared to the back, and returned with a glass of water and a small white box. She bowed politely before turning on her heels and leaving just as abruptly as she had arrived, stopping only briefly to flash the young Japanese man staring a devious glare. "I wonder what that was all about." Gino mused through a mouthful of rice.

"I have no idea," Suzaku said as he began to rise, "but I intend to find out." He pushed his chair back in before pausing and picking up his sandwich back up. He may as well eat on the run. He headed after her, making sure to jog so that she couldn't get away. He caught sight of her hair as she rounded the corner to the hallway that led to the rooms. "Cici!" He called, only slightly relieved that she paused and looked back at him over the corner.

"What do you want?" She asked, her voice a little tense and annoyed. He blinked a few times, surprised by this. Normally the green haired witch kept her emotions locked up inside and never let them really show. Well, except for when she was feeling snarky, but he hardly considered that to be showing real emotion simply because she was always just making rude remarks.

"Is Lelouch okay?" He asked cautiously, unsure how she would react to the question. Her eyes widened for a moment before narrowing to a glare. He was surprised that her lip didn't curl as well.

"He'll be fine once we get this work in Japan done. Let everyone know that we'll be planning another move forward to give Britannia a final shove out of Tokyo tomorrow at about four in the morning; if we can get them out of Tokyo we should have no problem shoving them out of the rest of the country," She said flatly before continuing to walk away. Suzaku opened his mouth to reply but instead took a bite of his sandwich and headed off to do as she had said.

Cici sighed as she walked down the hallway, glaring at her feet. Yes, for once Cici was honestly angry. She hadn't been angry in so long that the emotion was wearing her down but at the same time she couldn't find a way to alleviate the sensation. She had been a yanki because she could never die and it let her get out her frustrations. She had travelled until being captured by V2 and Britannia because going from place to place made her forget all the things she missed. But she was realizing just how much she was coming to hate Suzaku Kururugi, simply because of the things he caused to happen to her plans and chances of freedom. _'If that moron actually used his brain I wouldn't be where I am right now; having to give sugar pills to Lelouch to keep him from going toe-up and giving in to the guilt over everything he's done,'_ She thought as she opened the door.

Kallen was seated in the chair, one leg draped over one arm while the other was crossed on top of its kin, her feet lightly swaying in time to some song she was most likely singing in her head to keep from going brain dead with boredom. She was still decked out in all of her Black Knights gear, from the visor to the blazer, but she had a small scowl on her lips. She perked up, blue eyes shining in hope when she saw the other woman. "I'm not sure if he's asleep or just being quiet but Lelouch hasn't spoken since he took off the Zero outfit," She informed the other. Amber eyes shifted from the red-haired woman to the ebony haired male lying face-forward on his bed. His ears were flattened to his skull and his tail didn't move an inch from its position lying on his left leg like a limp noodle. "Is he just depressed or is it whatever they gave him to turn him into a cat?" Kallen whispered, thought her words were almost completely inaudible, since she didn't want Lelouch to overhear her with his keen hearing. Kallen received a casual shrug in response from the Immortal.

'_I'm not depressed; I'm just tired of having to do all this work. Why can't it just end already?'_ He asked back in Cici's head, tone a little annoyed. Ah, so Kallen had been heard anyway; she had heard that all animals could understand words if a single syllable was uttered but this simply confirmed it for her. She headed over and chuckled lightly, sitting near him and setting the water on the small table next to the bed.

'_I know that but unlike me, Kallen can't read your thoughts. After all, you are my contractor and not hers,'_ She thought as she worked to open the white box. She lifted the flag and dropped the little white bottle inside into her palm. She then worked at getting the lid, which was a child-safe one, off to give him some pills. _'Now sit up and take your medicine. You're really starting to get on my last nerve with this attitude of yours.'_

'_Considering that my life has mere days left, how would you like be to behave? Like I'm at the bloody circus?'_ He quipped back harshly. The other flinched briefly before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She tried telling herself that it was merely the hormones of a teenage boy running rampant but the thought died shortly when she reminded herself that Lelouch never (unless provoked by Suzaku) acted like a normal boy his age.

'_I can't even imagine what you're going through but that doesn't mean you have the rights to take it out on me. And I'm not going to sit here and let you. Now shut the hell up, sit the hell up and take the damn sugar pills,'_ She argued back in a cold tone of voice. Lelouch, however, didn't even bat an eyelash at the lack of emotion in his tone. She waited a moment before deciding to play her trump card. _'Suzaku asked me how you were doing on my way back to the room.'_

There was a shift pause, in which Lelouch turned his head to look at her, before she got an answer. _'He wouldn't do that. He's too mad at me right now,'_ He said evenly, though she could hear a slim coat of hope in his tone. She smiled lightly at him as the lid of the pill bottle finally submitted to her will. She set the lid down and popped a few pills into her hands.

'_He did; I told him not to worry and deliver that message to everyone else. He didn't try to stop me from leaving after that and I heard him head back to the cafeteria so maybe he was just asking me to be polite,'_ She answered casually. She held her hand out, received a small sigh, and watched as Lelouch slowly sat up. He took the pills from her palm, swallowed them one at a time, and then took a long gulp from the glass of water she offered. _'Does it concern you that your plan may not be as fool-proof as you thought?'_ She pressed on, trying to make more conversation with the other individual. Lelouch set the glass, now empty, back down and flopped over on his side again.

'_I'm not worried at all; Suzaku has become too polite since the years I knew him. He only asked because he felt it would be the nice thing to do or he asked on behalf of Kaguya or Gino or someone else,'_ He thought back calmly. Cici chuckled lightly and shook her head, a little surprised that Lelouch simply couldn't accept that the young brunette may care more than either was willing to admit. _'I took that into account when I made my plan; Suzaku will be worried but not enough to press any answers from anyone who would know. And also, after my father is gone and I have V2's Code, he will also be more worried about Euphemia than I to follow us to Kamina Island. I am not known as a Man of Miracles for nothing, Cici.'_

'_Hmm. That is very true. So, shall we remove that assassin V2 sent us before or after V2 himself?'_ She asked while getting up and heading over toward the coffee table near Kallen. There was a box of pizza with her name written all over it quite literally. She opened the lid and picked out a piece, taking in its smell with a deep, breath.

'_The sooner the better, as the old phrase goes. You'll have to be the one to take him down, though; we know his Geass can freeze time and because of your Immortal status you're the only one who can go unaffected by it. I could try using my Geass, I suppose, but I don't know if I'd be able to state the command in time,'_ He said calmly. She nodded wordlessly as she took a bite from the slice, delighting in the taste of mozzarella and spices. _'We'll take him out after we get to the palace; make sure that he is not given any ground weapons and that anything else he may have gets handled. I will not let this plan be messed up by a miscalculation on my end.'_

'_Meaning you want me to make sure I do as you say so that if everything goes to Hell in a hand basket you won't be the one at fault,'_ She thought back snidely. Lelouch scoffed lightly from his place on his bed, tail whipping from side to side in clear annoyance.

'_I am suggesting this for both our safety; if something should actually go wrong with the invasion than blame will fall to Ohgi and Toh-Doh because they'll be in charge at the time,'_ He answered back blandly.

'_So you always have a scapegoat prepared, eh?'_ She asked back, looking at the pizza box as she ate.

'_I need the scapegoat this time; we won't have much time to do what needs to be done and failure will not be tolerated,'_ He answered back in that same emotionless ton of voice. There was a pause, in which she assumed he was debating on something, before he cleared his mind again. _'Have you heard anything from my mother or Rin's ghost recently?'_

'_No, but it's not anything I think we should be too concerned about. We've been having Rin play go between and she said she'd be back after we made it to Pendragon so we'll most likely hear from her once we get there,'_ She mused calmly. She had been thinking a lot recently, wondering if there was some way that Rin or Marianne could help with defeating this creepy little assassin; technically, if Rin put enough energy into it she could move things with her emotions like many ghosts had in the past (as Cici knew personally and also from watching a few television programs over the years). She would discuss that more with the other woman later, however, when the time for it came. _'Any way, I think you should try to get some more planning for the invasion done; the plan for tomorrow is to give Britannia that final shove and then head to Pendragon, right? You need to make sure you've picked your teammates for that voyage well.'_

'_Hmm,'_ Was all she received before letting Lelouch be. He had a lot to think over, after all. She perked up when she saw a small scowl on Kallen's lips.

"I hate it when you two do that whole mind-chat stuff; it makes me feel left out," The red-head admitted flatly. The other grinned lightly before leaning over to her and kissing her softly on the forehead.

"Don't worry; I still love you the most," She said gently. Her amber eyes softened a bit. _'And I didn't even need Geass to get your love.'_

…

Japan was in celebration as the squad of Black Knights, lead by Zero, pursued the retreating Britannian ships and continued to fire at them. Any Britannians that had been in Japan were currently being kept in a large together, watched closely by Japanese individuals. They were getting three meals a day and decent living quarters at Zero's demand. "We should not mistreat those who may be taught the ways of our new world; we do not need to slip to Britannia's low to show that we are better," He had said; pretty words that had flattered the mass into obedience.

'_Not surprising that Lelouch is so good at sweet talking. Well, at least he seems to be feeling better,'_ Suzaku thought to himself as he narrowly avoided an attack from an enemy. He twisted and shot them from behind, causing the pilot to eject and crash into the ocean not far below. He turned his attention back to the battle before him.

It was no surprise to him that the Black Knights were winning, really; they had been on offensive ever since their return and Lelouch was aiming for the gold. Not only that, but he could tell that the Japanese were excited to seek out this new Britannian heir who would apparently bring about a peaceful co-existence. "You surprised that we wanted peace, Kururugi? Figures," Kallen had snorted at the surprised look on his face as they sat in the cafeteria. Cici, who had been eating some pizza, merely chuckled and snorted as if she also found his reaction to be comical.

"Sometimes war is necessary to bring about an ultimate peace. It takes at least a little loss in order to earn a happy ending, after all," Cici had tsked, glancing at him briefly, before walking away. Suzaku was wondering about what she'd said even more now; the communicators were on but he also knew that Lelouch definitely hear the conversation.

'_I guess if I asked her in an abstract or indirect way I could get the answer without revealing too much,'_ He thought to himself. He didn't understand but for some reason that look she flashed him had been bugging him. It was a somewhat urgent look, as if there was something she wished he knew. 'Or maybe I'm just being paranoid and suspicious? I seem to be doing that a lot lately. But then again, she'd the one closest to Lelouch… If something was wrong with him, she'd know better than to tell me point blank what it was. That doesn't mean she can't make obscure links for me ti piece it together on my own though, right?' He sighed lightly before deciding to just throw caution to the wind and go for it. After all, what did he really have left to lose? "Hey, Cici, can I ask you something?"

"Didn't you just do that?" She asked back blankly. Suzaku's eyes twitched and he forced a tense smile on his lips. She really was good at pissing him off and testing his patience; for some reason just her voice itself and the tone she usually used grated his nerves in a fashion he'd never known could be done. "But I assume I can let you ask another one, if you'd like to. Go on." She said in an imperial tone (which she most likely learned from Lelouch after all the time they spent together).

"I was just wondering if there was a double meaning to what you said the other day," He said calmly, forcing his grip on the controls to relax slightly. He then perked up and blocked an onslaught of bullets coming from the enemy. He used his shield to help him push forward so that he could send the pilot into the ocean with the rest of the pilots he'd defeated. They could then float in the water until another ship came to find them and take them ashore.

"I say a lot of things, Kururugi; be more specific or I'll get creative with what I think you're talking about," She warned calmly as she handled an enemy as well. Suzaku had learned how the Shinkiro worked exactly shortly after he joined the Black Knights; he had always known that Lelouch was better at the strategy portion than the physical enacting but he hadn't thought the other was so… Lax (because lazy would have been far too insulting) in his part in the fighting on the battlefield. It had come as a shock that was then laughed off by the green haired witch and only served to annoy him even more. "Oh, wait, I think I know which subject you mean. Happy endings, right?"

"Wow, that's actually right. How did you know?" He asked calmly.

"Because I haven't had any other conversations with you recently; I try to avoid your idiocy for fear of catching it," She answered blandly. His eye twitched again and he tried so hard not to shoot at the knightmare frame she was piloting. He reminded himself that Lelouch was also inside the large robot; it didn't really help much, given how annoyed he was with the other. Sure, he may regret it later but it would make for a good way to remedy his situation right now. "Well, think of it this way, okay? If the life of one can save the lives of millions, doesn't it make sense for that one person to give themselves up for the good of all?"

"No," Suzaku answered flatly. Lelouch and Cici both perked up at this, a little baffled by his response. "There will always be people who will suffer, even if that one person is the only one to die. Their memory and their life mean something to at least one person; if it can be avoided, peace should be achieved without sacrifice of a single life."

'_So you held fast to those ideals all this time, did you, Suzaku?'_ Lelouch thought with a sad, rueful smile on his lips. He slipped his mask back on calmly, because the channels were open for all to hear and his voice simply could not be recognized. He didn't want anyone to hear him and perhaps accidently connect him to a classmate of Kallen's when she went by the name of Stadfeld. "Your ideals are charming, Kururugi, and I am amazed you've held fast to them for so long. But it is time you understood that if the sacrifice of one can bring peace to many than that one life should become forfeit. Yes, the people who cared for that life and knew that life will be stricken with grief for a while, but time heals all wounds. Once they see that it is for the better, I am sure those individuals will change their mind and simply embrace the world they've been given."

"Zero's right, Suzaku," Kallen jumped in calmly. Lelouch really wasn't too surprised that Kallen, like the obedient guard dog she was, was already jumping to his side to help him. He hadn't, however, expected (or, rather, hadn't been wishing) his most loyal knight to be her at the end of the road; he had hoped that Suzaku would have seen the light and reached a point where Lelouch could trust him with the information of his own death. But Lelouch had been able to tell that said information would only cause Suzaku to make demands and requests that Lelouch no longer had the authority to comply with. If he could, Lelouch would give Suzaku any trivial thing he wanted; money, his family back from the dead, a peaceful world… Though one of those would be given at the small token of Lelouch's very being. "I mean, if my life could be surrendered to save those of everyone in the world I would do so eagerly and without regret or fear." She said in a delicate tone, more meant for their leader than the other Japanese individual. Lelouch translated it to, "Thank you, Lelouch, and I will help you achieve your dream of a pure, innocent world."

"You can say whatever you like or put any greater good to it," Suzaku began with a small sigh, "but I will always disagree. If I were in that position in which someone I loved had to die in order to bring about peace I would not let them do it. I've already lost too many people in what could have been a peaceful end to this whole war." Suzaku grumbled bitterly. Again, it was a jab directed at Lelouch, really meaning, "I killed my father for peace and you took Euphemia away from me in hopes of getting your warped sense of peace; I will never accept sacrifice as a way for peace."

'_You only respond like this because you do not know what will become of the world once I am gone and have ended the power of Geass,'_ Lelouch thought, the rueful smile still on his lips. He began to chuckle quietly as a few tears streamed from his eyes, his ears flattening to his skull under the mask. Cici looked back at him, a sympathetic expression in her eyes though her face remained blank. _'And then I'll be gone but you'll have Euphemia and Nunnally… You'll have everything I can give you, Suzaku, so please don't toss my gift away. Accept the blood that must be spilled, the life that must be lost, in order to save so many more and give you the place you all deserve.'_

There was an awkward pause in which no one knew what to say; Lelouch lost in his head, Cici more concerned about her young charge, Kallen a little peeved with Suzaku and Suzaku wondering how they jumped from happy endings to a discussion on the worth of a single human life. "It is okay, Zero," Cici said finally in a quiet tone, hoping the others couldn't hear her, reaching back and gently resting her hand on top of his. He jolted slightly, eyes widening, as he gazed at her. She flashed a small smile his way. "You do not need to be afraid; things will end in your favor, just as they always have. Just like they always have." She uttered these words more as a mantra to ward of the impending doom filling up the cockpit, suffocating both she and Lelouch's senses and leaving them a little dizzy. In less than twenty-four hours there would be three things accomplished that the pair weren't quite ready to face; Lelouch would die, Cici would become a mortal once more and the world would become a place that neither of them had ever known in their varying years.

"Thank you, Cici," Lelouch whispered, his voice slightly thick with emotion. Despite her usual monotonous persona, Cici really was a grand woman; he hoped that some day she could raise a child (whether her own or a cast-off she picked up) because she truly did have a very motherly warmth to her that few carried. She smiled, took her hand back, and resumed control over their robot, leading them into another wave of enemy units that would be down in no time.

Meanwhile, Suzaku was left dumbfounded as to what she had meant; an unpleasant feeling bubbled up in his gut and left him trembling until he cast it off as the nerves of battle.

…

Making it into Pendragon was easier than Lelouch had initially thought but things got dicey upon arrival, thanks to his father's loyal brigade known as the Knights of Round. The Knights of Round were not in reach of his Geass and Suzaku seemed rather adamant about he being the one to take down Knight of One, Bismarck Waldstein. "Kururugi," Lelouch had begun to stay in his usual stern tone, "I admire your enthusiasm but I really do not think that your Lancelot is up to par with his Galahad. Let Kallen handle it; Guren's arm will have a better chance with victory."

"Zero, you should understand better than anyone how it feels to have a vendetta burning inside of you, yes? This man killed my mother; yes, I accept my part of the blame for coming here unprepared to accomplish a task that would have caused even more trouble, but he didn't have to kill her. If you respect me at all, you will let me have this fight," Suzaku's tone was cold and hard much like when he had held Lelouch before Charles to receive his punishment. Lelouch was lucky that he didn't flinch back for fear of the tone the other was using because it sent terrible images of the things that had followed reeling through his mind.

"As you wish. After your duel, you are to arrive at the palace and help me with my tasks there," He had said in his same imperial tone. He paused for a moment, debating on whether or not he would add his last remark, before he decided to throw caution to the wind. "And please try to come back alive."

"I don't have a choice in the matter involving that, remember?" Though the young violet eyed male was unsure as to whether the words were meant to be a slap in the face or just a reminder of the facts, Lelouch actually winced behind his mask at this. He said nothing else as Cici set to work cutting through the soldiers to reach the palace.

"So that person piloting the knightmare that day was your mother?" Bismarck asked in a casual tone of voice. Suzaku suddenly cursed that they were currently running on an open channel; it made it easier for the enemy to hack in and listen o their conversations. "I'm afraid I don't see much of a resemblance; then again, she was nothing but a lump of melted metal and ashes by the time I was done with her."

Suzaku saw red before releasing an enraged cry and lashing out at his older opponent.

…

Lelouch was silent as he and Cici stared down at the dead assassin at his feet. The young boy had used his Geass severe times on their way to make it into the palace and currently they were just outside of the doors that would lead to the thrown room. The other had used his Geass one final time, aiming to take Lelouch out, and was promptly shot in the head by the green haired witch. She currently looked at Lelouch, who had removed his mask and tugged the long cape of his outfit tighter around his body while leave the arm holding the mask out. "Lelouch, you're-"

"Go get the Shinkiro and pick me up as soon as you can; this shouldn't take long," Lelouch said flatly, turning away from her. She blinked, then looked down and rushed off to accomplish said task with a worried frown on her features. Lelouch tapped his side lightly, wincing only slightly at the pain that shot up through the wound like an electric current. He didn't need to check his fingertips for fresh blood.

'_Little bastard may have actually completed his mission; if I'm not fast I'll black out from blood loss and then my chance to end all of this will be gone forever,'_ He thought angrily before turning and pushing the doors open, much like he had years ago when coming to demand his father give attention after his mother's murder. Even now, the doors seemed too light to really hold back any intruders, despite the loud squeal of protest that came from the old hinges.

The large room was empty except for two figures hovering over a third that rested at their feet. Lelouch immediately recognized Charles and Euphemia, but used his logic to tell him the third was V2. _'Why is Euphemia here? And what have they done to her?'_ He thought angrily, fist beneath his cloak clenching tightly in rage. She lay there, back to her actual size without any animal attachments unlike Lelouch, gasping and curled in on herself, eyes clamped shut. V2 made a disproving tsking noise before nudging her with his foot, a small whimper escaping her.

"I had a feeling it wouldn't work, Charles," V2 began to drawl. He then let out a disappointed sigh and shook his head. "I didn't realize how pure hearted your daughter was; the Geass will not take. It doesn't help that she won't accept the Contract either."

"Euphemia, if you can get up, come here," Lelouch said suddenly, not caring that the other two male's glared at him for his rudeness. They had ignored him first; he saw it only fit that he return the favor. The other's eyes fluttered open and she gasped, struggling toward him at a crawl at first. She struggled until she was on her legs, shaky, and rushed toward him. He caught her with his exposed arm when she reached him, glaring up at the other two men. "You planned to turn her into a weapon for you to use?"

"Did you not do the same thing yourself, dear nephew?" V2 sneered, his eyes glinting wickedly at the young man before them. Euphemia, whom he had gently helped back to the floor, glared up and pushed some hair from her face.

"He didn't mean to do what he did; it was because of the Geass and it was an accident! You were purposely trying to force something I didn't want on to me!" She cried out, voice shaky and hoarse. Lelouch briefly wondered if his sister had screamed in protest to them and felt another spark of rage. It was good, however, because it helped him reassure himself that what he was going to be doing was right.

"So you know the truth of everything, specifically my mother's assassination, I assume, Father," Lelouch said smoothly. V2 jerked slightly, eyes widening a fraction, before he glared daggers back at the younger male. He smirked slightly. "This family is just full of traitors, after all; I betrayed Euphemia and you were betrayed by V2."

"Hold your tongue, boy!" The Immortal snapped vehemently. He then turned to smile lightly at his now puzzled sibling. "Charles, this boy is nothing but a creature made of lies. There is something in him that compels him to only spew lies to save his own skin. He should be eliminated as soon as possible."

"Yes; I picked up the genetics of a liar passed down from my uncle, after all," Lelouch continued forth with a small shrug in place. Charles looked between the two curiously, debating on who he should put his faith in. "Tell me, Father, did you ever find out who exactly it was from Japan that ordered my mother be killed as she was? Because I have a feeling your precious big brother may have the answer for you."

Charles turned his gaze to V2, eyes narrowed angrily. Lelouch was only partially satisfied at the suspicion located there. "What is this nonsense he's spewing, brother?" He asked, his tone calm and collected. The ability to keep up your poker face seemed to be a trait that ran in the family.

"Exactly that, brother dear; nonsense of a rebellious young teenager," He answered with a deep breath. Euphemia glanced up, shifting her gaze between Lelouch and the older men, slowly beginning to realize what Lelouch was doing.

"If it is nothing than why did you glare at Lelouch so harshly for speaking? If there was not a single nugget of truth to his words than you'd have no reason to seem so defensive and angry," She chimed in calmly. V2 jerked slightly, shifting his glare to her, while she looked up at the now smirking Lelouch. "Am I correct, brother?"

"Exactly that, sister dear," Lelouch mused, mocking his uncle smoothly. He knew it was a childish thing to do but he was past the point of caring really; if he could get his point across (and clearly Euphemia agreed with him) he could finish this up much faster. He knew that once everything was done they'd only have a small window of opportunity to get to Kamina Island and complete the task ahead of him. "So tell me, Father, do you still believe the Japanese are to blame for the death of Empress Marianne? Even though your brother seems so stern on the idea of silencing me in regards to it?"

Charles blinked a few times before his eyes widened and he growled. "You bastard! You killed her, didn't you?" He snapped angrily, turning to his brother. V2 scoffed and shifted, pulling out a gun and cocking it at Lelouch.

"I really didn't want to have to do this, but you clearly aren't going to listen to reason and back down. A pity, really; you always were my most entertaining nephew," V2 said flatly, cocking the gun back. Lelouch remained calm and repeated the action, pulling out a gun of his own and cocking it was well.

The two shots rang out in unison, sounding like a single shot.

…

Suzaku perked up as he walked up to the doors leading to the throne room. Anya (or, rather, Marianne) was leaning against the door, watching him calmly. "How did it go with Bismarck? Considering you're standing here, I'd assume well?" She mused calmly. He opened his mouth to answer and jumped when he heard a gunshot.

"What the hell was that?" He asked, rushing over and trying to push past her. His fingers brushed the knob before he was shoved back by the smaller figure. He stumbled back a little bit and landed on his rear a few feet away as another gunshot rang out.

"Lelouch had to finish up a little something and now we should be okay to go inside," She said calmly. She reached over and pulled the doors open while Suzaku stood and dusted himself off. Instead were Euphemia and Lelouch, both standing, while V2 and Charles were on the floor, blood beginning to pool near their head's. "Well, I must give you credit for a job well done, Lelouch. Now, if you'd be so kind, go and collect the Geass from your Father and the Code from V2."

Though Suzaku didn't mention it, the other male seemed a little uneasy on his feet as he headed toward his Father's corpse. The young Japanese male, as well as the young princess, turned away as Lelouch set to prying out his Father's eyes with his gloved hands. He shut the lids after he had gotten the two appendages, removing his other glove and setting them inside. He then headed over to V2, whose body began to twitch with the first stages of revival. He pressed his hand to the other's forehead, a bright silver light blocking them from view.

"What's happening?" Euphemia whispered softly, looking up at Suzaku who was helping her return to her feet. Her knees still shook a little bit but she had him as a support system.

"Because V2 is not willingly handing over his Code Lelouch must take it by force; whichever of them has the stronger will power will win," Marianne chimed in calmly.

"Then Lelouch will win, hands down," Suzaku said flatly. Euphemia and Marianne both looked at him sharply, but he ignored the looks when he saw movement outside of the room through a small window. Suddenly the wall was torn open just as the silver lights faded.

_Every time you go.  
Every time you go._

The Shinkiro extended one arm, resting the hand against the floor. Marianne laughed while Suzaku and Euphemia stared in complete shock at the sight. Lelouch got back to his feet, stumbling briefly and releasing a pained noise, before making his way over. "I have to go finish this," He mumbled, voice a little softer than it should have been.

_It starts with a picture  
And it sits in your frame.  
And we part with a letter  
And it ends in my name._

Suzaku blinked a few times then looked off to the side slightly. He had made his decision to stay with Euphemia, resume his duties as her knight, and he couldn't just give in because Lelouch seemed depressed. "I guess we'll see you later then," He said, glancing back at the retreating figure briefly.

_It starts with forever  
And it ends with a touch.  
And I know that you're clever  
And I don't ask for much._

There was a silence, Lelouch pausing in his steps, before he chuckled slightly. The sound came out as a wheeze, however, and this caused a red light to go off in Suzaku's mind. "Whatever you say, Suzaku," He mumbled before stepping into the robot's extended limb. It pulled back out, resting by the now open hatch and permitting Lelouch to slip inside. He, again, stumbled, which concerned Suzaku even more; Lelouch, even at his worst, was a creature of grace by nature (unless it was in regards to sports, of course).

_Maybe we forgot all the things we are.  
We are together._

The Shinkiro was gone as abruptly as it had arrived. "Suzaku, please go get the Lancelot and follow them," Euphemia said after taking a deep breath. He jolted up and looked at her in alarm. She met his gaze calmly. "Hurry up or they'll get too far away for you to follow easily!"

_You said I'm arresting.  
You said I had heat.  
I really thought that we'd go further  
The second time we'd meet._

"But… Why?" He asked in slight surprise. She stared at him as if he was a moron before smacking her forehead and shaking her head. She mumbled something incoherent under her breath and then looked up at him with a small scowl (though her scowls always looked more like pouts) on her pretty young face.

_Now I'm tired of trying to keep you.  
All I want to do is sleep.  
And perhaps when I'm sleeping  
You'll get back on your feet._

"Because, for one, you love him," She began to explain, "and, second, he's hurt. You need to make sure he'll be okay." She pointed to where Lelouch had walked to reach and it was then Suzaku noticed a few drops of blood leaving a little trail to where the other had boarded the knightmare frame. His eyes widened in horror. "Suzaku, I know you must still be angry at Lelouch but you need to understand he didn't mean to use his Geass on me. I… I asked him how it worked and his powers were growing out of control and… It was an accident; a terrible, horrific accident, but still an accident! Lelouch planned to agree to the treaty and to help me keep order in the special administrative zone!"

_Maybe we forgot all the things we are.  
We are together._

"It's true, Kururugi," Marianne joined in flatly. He turned his attention to her as she shifted her posture to lean on her left side a little bit. "Charles used to joke about it since he was the one who rearranged Lelouch's memories; in order to do so, he had to see Lelouch's memories. He used to joke about how Lelouch's biggest regret was to be his undoing and lead to his death."

_Wake me up.  
Wake me up.  
Stop my fall  
Every time you go._

It felt like a cold shower after running a marathon without a glass of water as he took in all this information. Lelouch had wanted Suzaku to stop (or at least try to stop) caring about him intentionally. He had left out bits of the story just to manipulate Suzaku the way he wanted. And for what? Well, he was going to figure that out. "That… That conniving little bitch! I am so going to rip him a new asshole when I catch up to him!" He snapped before running out to find his knightmare and chase after the other male.

_Tape me up  
Then break me up  
Ever so gently  
When I'm at my weakest._

Marianne looked toward Euphemia, who was letting silent tears roll down her cheeks. "You do realize that you've set him up for heartbreak, right? Lelouch never told him the truth as to what will cause the curtain on this war-torn world to draw shut and, being unprepared, he may come to resent you for knowing the truth," She said mildly. She closed her own eyes, fighting back tears as well as she remembered watching Lelouch grow up for those ten beautiful years; soon enough he would be nothing more than memories, if those who loved him were lucky.

_It's not so hard  
Every time you go._

"Yes, I know," She sniffled. She wiped her eyes on one of her sleeves lightly. "But I… I believe that he has a right to see Lelouch one last time and have a chance to tell him how much he cares. No one should have to say goodbye to the person they love without getting to say it one last time."

_I run a mount to meet you  
When I knew a storm had come.  
I felt the rain on your face  
And the damage you had done._

"You better not die on my, Lelouch," Cici warned calmly as she flipped off the communicator for the unit. Lelouch didn't have his mask and no one else needed to be there when they made it to Kamina Island. She could hear Lelouch panting harshly. "At least add pressure to the damn thing so it won't bleed as much."

_I know what you're thinking.  
It will never be the end.  
And when the storm is over  
You won't see me again._

"I'll be… fine. I'm pressing the end… of my cape to… the wound but it stings. I should last just… long enough… to make it to Kamina Island and make it to where I need… to be," He wheezed out, hissing every now and then at the sharp prickling of pain that coursed up from the stab wound.

_Didn't know the price I paid for all the times I stayed  
When we were together._

"Your precious cape? Oh no, how can you use that to slow your bleeding? That cape took you forever to make," She quipped sarcastically, a small smirk on her lips. Lelouch laughed lightly before coughing harshly. The hand he had covered his mouth with came back with small specks of blood dotting the surface. _'Okay, note to self; don't make Lelouch laugh.'_ She thought to herself worriedly.

_Wake me up.  
Wake me up.  
Stop my fall  
Every time you go._

"I think I'm going to miss that… strange wit of yours… the most, Cici," He mumbled softly. He sounded far off, which caused worry to spur Cici to put the knightmare into overdrive. They had to reach their destination in time and Lelouch was clearly fading fast. "But I… won't miss your… obsession with eating pizza… every day, all day."

_Tape me up  
Then break me up  
Ever so gently  
When I'm my weakest._

"I'm going to miss everything about you, Lelouch," She said calmly. She heard him cough a little bit again. "You were, by far, my most interesting, amusing, and agreeable contractor. I'm actually a little sad that you're the one who has to end Geass for the good of mankind."

_It's not so hard._

_Maybe we forgot, are we awake or not?  
Maybe we forgot, are we awake or not?  
Maybe we forgot, are we awake or not?  
Or maybe we forgot._

"Yes, well, I guess it's better this way. I'd rather die and be forgotten than live and lose everything I love," He said, sorrow dripping in his words. Cici could understand his logic; she was the woman who always lost everything because of being an Immortal, after all. "But at least without me around all the loose ends will be tied up."

_Wake me up.  
Wake me up.  
Stop my fall  
Every time you go._

"Do you mean completing our contract and creating the world you promised Nunnally?" She asked calmly. She heard him chuckle, then cough softly, and then chuckle again. She wasn't too sure how to interpret this response.

_Tape me up  
Then break me up  
Ever so gently  
When I'm at my weakest._

"And you can be happy with Kallen, and Euphemia and Suzaku can be happy together. He always did mesh with her better, I guess; he and I fought too much about silly things. This way he'll be able to have conversations without it turning into full-out screaming matches," He explained. Cici closed her eyes tightly for a brief moment, her fingers tightening on the controls.

_Wake me up.  
Wake me up.  
Stop my fall  
Every time you go._

'_Fate really is a cruel bitch to require the death of someone so strong, kind and generally great as Lelouch in order to achieve world peace,'_ She thought angrily before opening her eyes. She silently wished that whatever God there was listen in and understand just how sick this whole scenario was. _'Hopefully, however, maybe everyone will be able to forget like he wants; that way no one will know how truly wonderful he was.'_

Cici did not notice, however, the little hindrance to their plans flying behind them a few feet.

_Tape me up  
Then break me up  
Ever so gently  
When I'm at my weakest._

_It's not so hard  
Every time you go. – _Every Time You Go by Ellie Goulding

End

Okay, so I missed last week's update… I had lots of hours at work, last Friday I went to a party (since it was my only day off of work that week) and I've had work every day since. I've been doing my best to finish up this chapter but between work and a small case of writer's block (that didn't dissipate until today when I got home from work) this chapter took longer than expected. I honestly wrote the last like ten pages all in the same sitting. I hope you don't mind that this chapter didn't have bonus stories; I didn't want to delay the update any further. Also, on a final note, after the start of the new year my updates will be coming on a different date. After New Year's, my updates will be on Saturday's instead of Thursdays', simply because I'll have class on Thursdays' once college picks up and I don't want to have to cram a ton of stuff into one day. So please read and review, and I'll see you next chapter.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. I do own the plot. All songs used belong to their respective artists. Also, track listing for this chapter (so you know what I was listening to while writing this, aside from one song which will be featured toward the end of the chapter):

_Where I Stood_ by Missy Higgins (Suggested to me by FMAohshc), _The Con_ by Tegan and Sara, _The Walk_ by Imogen Heap, _Liar_ by Something Else, _Clear the Area_ by Imogen Heap, _Alejandro_ by Lady Gaga, _Angels_ by Within Temptation, _Memories_ by Eisley, _Forgiven_ by Within Temptation (Suggested to me by Magician Girl Mirani), _Half of my Heart_ by John Mayer, _Memories_ by Within Temptation, _All the Things She Said_ by Tatu, _Gifts and Curses_ by Yellowcard and the finale song.

_There is a sky, illuminating us,  
Someone is out there that we truly trust,  
There is a rainbow for you and me,  
A beautiful sunrise, eternally. – __God is a Girl_ by Groove Coverage

Chapter Thirteen

They reached Kamina Island faster than they originally anticipated. Lelouch was fading fast so the early arrival was more than a blessing in the eyes of he and his partner in crime. "Do you need me to help you get out?" Cici asked as she opened the hatch. Lelouch took her hand, getting to his feet in a manner similar to a newborn fowl.

"I assume the world really isn't spinning and that it's just my lack of blood making me dizzy, correct?" He groaned softly. He had slipped past the point of registering the pain in his aching body, but his tone was softer than it should have been. Cici nodded solemnly and glanced around, trying to see if there was an easier way to safely get Lelouch down, and tensed when she spotted the fast approaching Lancelot. The pale male followed her gaze and released a small hissing breath. "So he followed us. Euphemia must have ordered him to; he wouldn't have come on his own." He grumbled.

Suzaku flipped on his communicator and got a hold of Kallen as he landed his knightmare a few feet from the Shinkiro. "Kallen, we have a situation. Zero has been severely injured and needs immediate medical attention. Can you have someone get Rakshata here as soon as possible?" He asked quickly, wanting to shut down his robot and go to help Lelouch.

"Uh, yeah. Sure. I'll let Ohgi know and they should be there after getting all the other injured Black Knights onto the ship to receive treatment," She said, though her voice sounded slightly uneasy. Suzaku assumed that she was most likely in combat and that he was distracting her from her battle. _'I'm sorry, Suzaku, but I can't send you any help, even if he really is hurt. I have been given my orders from Zero, and they trump your requests.'_ She thought sympathetically, closing her eyes tightly.

"Thanks, Kallen," He said before opening his hatch and pulling out his key. He rushed over to the opened Shinkiro as soon as his feet touched the solid ground. He looked up at the rather worn looking Lelouch and annoyed Cici.

"What are you doing here, Kururugi?" She asked with a small huff, slipping one of Lelouch's arms over her shoulders as she got ready to make the descent to the sandy floor beneath them. They needed to hurry to the doors to the World of C; Lelouch would be unable to make it there alone and, as his Immortal contractor, Cici knew she had to be present as well. They headed down slowly, each of them having a foot on the metal pedal that was meant to be stood on, with Cici helping Lelouch keep his balance (since his dizziness was keeping him from his usual cat-like grace and composure).

"I came here to make sure that Lelouch is okay and that he gets the medical treatment that he needs," He said sternly as the two touched ground. Lelouch stumbled slightly, but before the Japanese youth could offer his assistance Cici was already helping Lelouch's hunched figure keep from landing on the ground. He stood more erect, hoping to look more intimidating, as he glared at the deathless woman. "He needs a doctor; he'll bleed to death with the way things are going right now."

Amber spheres glinted wrathfully and she opened her mouth to speak but was halted when Lelouch held up one hand to her, glancing through his bangs at Suzaku. He looked dazed, bleary eyed, but still held the confidence of a leader. "I have one final task to complete; help me get to where I need to be and I'll agree to anything you want," He said.

"Lelouch," Cici hissed warningly, looking between Suzaku and her young charge worriedly. He nodded her head a bit at her and she sighed. She glared at Suzaku, eyes filled with scorn. "He can't walk very well so I need you to carry him; it's not very long of a distance so it won't take long to reach it. Besides, you know where we're going too; it's where you first decided to betray your precious Lulu, after all." She almost smirked at the flinch and guilty wince she was answered with, but slipped on her usual mask of indifference as she helped him situate Lelouch bridal-style in his arms. "Follow me." She said, turning and beginning to lead him into the forest. He stayed a few paces behind simply out of his desire to talk to Lelouch.

"What exactly do you have to do here?" He asked calmly. Lelouch shifted and pulled out one of his gloves; Suzaku recognized it as the one Lelouch had put his own father's eyeballs into after killing the other man. He resisted the urge to gag.

"I must returned my Father's Geass and V2's Code," At this, Lelouch carefully pried off his other glove to reveal a shimmering Geass symbol tattooing the pale flesh of the palm of his hand, "to the source. It should bring an end to Geass and help me create a truly peaceful world, if what Cici has explained to me is correct. It shouldn't take too long; I just need to be alive to make the trade which was why we had to make such haste in getting here."

"And then that'll be the end of this whole thing?" He asked him calmly. Lelouch nodded quietly while watching Cici walking up ahead. They were silently coming up with a game plan, since Lelouch knew Suzaku could become quite the little hindrance if he wasn't careful, while Suzaku was simply looking forward to finally getting a break from all the war.

Cici let Suzaku walk into the cave first when they arrived. "Set Lelouch down near the doors with the Geass symbol carved on them; he'll need to make passage through there," She said calmly. While Suzaku set to completing the task, she picked up a large rock and began to approach slowly and quietly from behind.

"I'm sorry for all of this, Suzaku," Lelouch said as he was set on the step closest to the door. He struggled to his feet, ignoring how his wound leaked even more blood out. He was surprised because he honestly felt that he should have been bleed dry (literally) by this point in time. He turned toward the doors, not wanting to look back at Suzaku again. "And I'm really sorry for what's about to be done, too."

"What do you me-" Lelouch winced slightly when he heard the rock make contact with the back of Suzaku's head. He heard the other hit the ground and then silence. Once they were assured the brunette was simply unconscious with a lump on his head, instead of dead and bleeding out on the floor, Cici approached him. She helped him hobble to the door and glanced at him.

"Are you ready for this?" She asked gently. He clenched the glove tighter, feeling the Code mark on his other palm begin to each and burn as it tried to settle into him and take root. It was as if the Code was the embodiment of V2, clawing desperately at anything to keep from losing its purpose or usefulness. He found it almost depressing to think that a power as formidable as Geass, a curse as wicked as the Code, could be left as such a pathetic thing but let go of the thought. Geass and the Code should be afraid; they were both about to become obsolete and deleted from the world.

"I've never been more ready for anything in my life," He mumbled before they both reached out and touched the doors. They were enveloped in a white light, all the Geass marks sparkling (the Geass symbol in Lelouch's left eye, the Code mark on his hand, the Code mark on Cici's forehead; even the two bloody eyes trapped in Lelouch's glove released a thin beak of light from their confines) and then disappeared from the cave as darkness returned to the space.

…

Lelouch blinked and looked around a few times, stunned to find he was not clad in his Zero uniform (instead clad in his Ashford uniform) and no longer bore the stab wound landed by V2's little assassin. He looked around, confused, to find himself in a large field filled with flowers of a multitude of colors. He heard a soft giggle and turned, seeing a figure peer out at him from behind a nearby apple tree. "Are you Geass?" He asked the figure politely. It was a girl, who appeared to be around the age of nine or ten, wearing an all white dress that looked much like the one Lelouch had been shoved in at the Cross-Dressing Festival without all the lace and ruffles. A long wave of sky blue hair fell around her, the tips trailing on the ground, and her eyes were a bright pink-red much like when someone was using Geass.

"Why hello, Lelouch vi Britannia," She giggled in a voice that was an octave higher than Nunnally's had been around that age. She stepped out and calmly reached up to the tree. One of the massive branches dipped down and she plucked a ripe red fruit from the branches. "I've been waiting a very long time for you." She hummed before taking a bite of the apple. A little juice ran down her lips.

"You are Geass in yet, you are so very-"

"Young? Yes, I know. I was only six when I made the contract to receive my gift, and was ten years old when I was given the curse of the Code. After I passed my Code on to another, I ended up here, forced to monitor all my Code-takings and their contract-takers," She mused, stepping a little closer to him and reaching out. She wore a smile that screamed of a wounded heart and tainted innocence. "But then again, it is the naïve wishes of children that can give the power to things thought impossible, yes? Despite our appearances, we are both more like adults than many would expect, in yet we are still truly just children. And it is because of the desires of us, two children, that the world was torn to chaos only to be reborn again in peace." Her fingers touched his arm and he felt the heat radiate there.

"So how exactly does this work? I mean, I assumed that… Well, I actually don't know what I was to assume," Lelouch confessed with a small sigh. It was the first time in years that he had gone into something without having at least seventy different scenarios worked out in his mind of how it would all end up for him.

"Your Father's Geass has already been returned to me; once you give me V2's Code I'll regain control of the Geass they both possessed. After that, I will give you one final request before I take your Geass away and then take Cici's Code from her," Geass explained calmly. She then took another bite of her apple, chewing with a strange expression, before tossing the apple away. It rolled along the ground but Lelouch didn't care to follow it with his gaze. Lelouch nodded and held out his hand to her. She slowly put her smaller one on his and smiled lightly.

"Will my request work on everyone?" He asked softly as the light pink shimmer of the Code crawled up Geass' arm, slithering like a snake under her skin. He wondered briefly if it hurt but didn't feel rude enough to ask.

"Except for Cici, since she was your Contractor, and the people you've used your Geass on that are still alive; whether the effect of your command is still on them or not. Also, your commands will be lifted soon as well," She explained after the shimmer disappeared over her shoulder to disappear to the flesh of her back. It slipped back into the Geass symbol that was permanently burned on her skin.

'_So Suzaku, Euphemia, Cornelia, Kallen and Cici will be the only ones to remember me… Well, that's sort of a good thing, I guess. At least Nunnally won't be hurt by any of this,'_ He thought sadly, nodding quietly. Geass reached toward him again, then paused and smiled lightly.

"I need you to kneel down so I can take away your powers," She said calmly. He nodded quietly and did as she instructed. She then leaned closer, her smile still in place. "Also, I'll let you say good bye to him; I'm not a completely heartless witch and I think that, even if you won't admit it, you'd like to take this last shot to get everything off your chest." She hummed. While Lelouch stared at her in wide-eyed amazement, she rested her palm against his eye and set to the task of unweaving the Geass from Lelouch's eye.

…

"Does it bring back memories to you, Cici?" Geass giggled as her fingers traced the pews of the church. This was the church that Cici had lived in after she got her Code from the nun she had once called friend. The only difference was that her contractor's dead body wasn't laying on the floor and she wasn't practically naked, drenched in a mix of her own blood and the other woman's. She shivered at the memory and turned to look at Geass more clearly, who was currently reclining against one of the pews, looking like a good little church-attending girl in a century long forgotten.

"I never thought that I would meet you; after all, I don't recall anyone ever meeting Icarus after his wings of wax melted in the sun," She commented calmly. Geass giggled lightly at this, her laugh soft and much like the shy bleat of a young lamb.

"That is because no one ever looked for Icarus after he fell to the sea; he was assumed for dead and left behind by his Father," She said peacefully before standing. She stopped in front of Cici and smiled lightly. "But now is not a time to discuss such things; no is the time for your shackles to be removed. You will final regain your ability to die." She said delicately. Her smile was both jovial but also a small bit envious.

"You're quite right, aren't you? I really have been alive for far too long; I'm beginning to forget what all my priorities in life are," She chuckled with a small half-smile on her lips as the realization that she would be able to die and that Lelouch would be dead finally began to sink in. She then looked at Geass sternly. "Can you give Lelouch his final wish?"

"Yes, to some degree; those he has used his Geass on and yourself will remember him once everything is completed. He will also be given a small window to say his farewell to the boy who came with you," She said gently. She then raised an eyebrow at the green-haired female curiously. "Did you want a wish granted as well, Cici? Depending upon what it is, I may be able to grant it for you. You did bring Lelouch here in one piece, even if only half alive, after all."

She stayed silent for a moment then blinked and nodded. "Actually, yes, I think that I can think of something I would like from you,"

"Excellent! Just remember that is has to be within the scoop of Geass abilities I currently have; which is all of them except for Lelouch Geass to command a person's will," She said cheerfully. Cici nodded quietly and turned her attention to the stain glass windows all around her. Until the war broke out, this church had stood tall and proud. After Rin and Marianne had their children, Cici had returned here and called this home for a while. Then knightmare frames came to hunt her down and she was forced to abandon it to become a burning pile of broken glass and old rubble. She had almost forgotten just how elegant and beautifully they were, considering she tried to not think about this place too much with all the history surrounding it.

"You said Lelouch wants to say good bye to the boy we brought with us?" She asked, keeping her eyes on the glass window of the angel. It had always been her favorite; ever since the say she first stumbled into the church. "Well, I think I know someone else who would like to say good bye to him as well, if that wouldn't be too much trouble…"

…

Suzaku blinked a few times, peering up to see sunlight catching through leaves and making bizarre golden shapes on him. He heard a familiar giggle and tilted his head, meeting with the face of his mother. He blinked, realizing that his head was resting in her lap. "Mom," He whispered softly.

"Who were you expecting? Your Great Uncle Taro?" She snickered teasingly. He smiled lightly as well as he stood up. He looked around to see they were resting under the large tree in the front of the Kururugi family home.

"What's going on? What are we doing here?" He asked her. She merely smiled and it was then he took in her appearance. Her hair was tugged back in a tight bun held with a pair of black chopsticks, and she was wearing a long, elegant white kimono with golden embroidery of a phoenix taking flight.

"Well, Suzaku," She began delicately, her smile never faltering, "I've come to give you my final farewell. Thanks to Lelouch and Cici, Geass agreed to grant this favor to me."

"Geass?" He parroted in complete confusion. Her smile softened at his confusion and she reached out, gently holding his cheek. He leaned into it, remembered when he was a child and she'd hold his face like this while he cried.

"Geass is the first human to have the Power of the Kings. The power became known by the first user's name after everything that happened involving it," She said gently. She then shifted closer, wrapping her arms tightly around Suzaku and embracing him. "Let's not discuss that right now, though, Suzaku. It's time for me to move on to wherever I'm meant to go next; Heaven, Hell, reincarnation or whatever. But I want you to know that no matter what happened before, no matter what you do in the future, and no matter how old you get, you'll always be the little baby I love with all my heart. Take care of yourself and take care of Kaguya and Lindo; you're all they have left. And live your life for yourself, Suzaku, not because you feel the need to repent for your sins. Can you promise to at least try and live your life as happily as possible?" She asked in a sort of pleading tone. It hit Suzaku in the heart because his mother had never really used that tone with him before; maybe once or twice, but the circumstances were very different. Right now he was really coming to realize what she had given up just for him.

"I'll do my best," He whispered thickly. She stepped back again, cupping his face, and kissed his forehead.

"That's my boy. Now, why don't you go visit the old shack? I think there's someone else waiting for you there as well," She said gently, smoothing out his hair. He saw tears pool in his eyes, and felt himself swallow back a lump to keep his own at bay. This was probably going to be the last time he'd get to see his mother ever again and that thought was terribly painful; almost as painful as watching Bismarck kill her because of Suzaku's own stupidity.

He blinked then nodding, looking at her another time, before walking off. The old shed didn't seem any different than his memories seemed to dictate; it was still run-down with dirty brown wood and patches over the broken parts of the windows. He had always wondered how exactly Lelouch and Nunnally had managed to survive in there, given their previous abode.

_Broken this fragile thing now  
And I can't, I can't pick up the pieces.  
And I've thrown my words all around  
But I can't, I can't give you a reason._

He slowly approached the door, pushing it open and twitching at the creak, and blinked when he saw Lelouch seated inside, sipping a cup of tea. He glanced up, violet orbs calm, and his little fluffy ears perked up on his head. "Geass couldn't do anything about the ears, huh?" He asked teasingly, indicating the small appendages.

"Nope; I'm stuck with them," Lelouch agreed, though the smile he tossed him didn't seem genuine. He then looked down at his tea, as if the murky brew could reveal something to him.

_But I can't, I can't give you a reason.  
I feel so broken up (so broken up).  
And I give up (I give up).  
I just want to tell you so you know._

"So there won't be any more Geass in the world after this?" Suzaku asked softly. Lelouch nodded quietly and looked out one of the grimy, half-repaired windows.

"Yes; after this Geass will do what I've asked and everything will be over. Before then, however, I wanted to talk to you about a few last minute things," He said gently. Suzaku blinked then swallowed hard and nodded quietly. He wondered if it was to discuss what would become of their relationship; if so, he had a few things to say as well.

_Here I go, scream my lungs out and try to get to you.  
You are my only one.  
I let go, but there's just no one who gets me like you do.  
You are my only, my only one._

"You'll be Euphemia's main defense," Lelouch began smoothly, "so you'll have to remain strong. The new, peaceful world will be peaceful but she'll need to be strong if there are any snags in the road. That's where you'll come in; you must protect her with all you've got. Just act like you did before the Massacre Princess incident; no one will remember that anyway. And make sure you take care of your brother and cousin; I know that it might be a little hard to balance everything, but you're stronger than you look. Make sure Nunnally get's a good knight for herself; preferably someone around her age that you train yourself, that way he'll most certainly be qualified to guard over her."

"Lelouch, why are you telling me all this? These sound more like things you'll be able to handle; you are going to be the Emperor, after all, remember?" Suzaku asked softly, a small sliver of fear prickling up his spine.

_Made my mistakes, let you down,  
And I can't, I can't hold on for too long.  
Ran my whole life in the ground  
And I can't, I can't get up when you're gone._

"You may play the fool quite often, Suzaku, but I know you aren't dense," He said gently before sipping his tea again. He then glanced up and smiled, extending one hand and resting it right in front of Suzaku's eyes. "Which reminds me…" He mumbled lightly.

"What are you doing?" The brunette asked quickly, almost ready to stand up from a mix of his nerves and his confusion. He felt a strange tingling sensation in his head and face, before the world went white for a second. When Lelouch pulled his hand away, Suzaku was left able to see again and stared at the pink orb hovering above his fingers.

_And something's breaking up (breaking up).  
I feel like giving up (like giving up).  
I won't walk out until you know._

"You are hereby free of my Geass command to live, as well as any obligation to be with me," Lelouch said, clenching his fist. The little orb shattered and fluttered down, sprinkling the table with its mist-like powder.

"What do you mean?" Suzaku swallowed hard as he forced the words out. Lelouch was worrying him, filling him with fear. Lelouch had destroyed Geass so that much made sense but what about the rest of it? What did he rest of that mean?

_Here I go, scream my lungs out and try to get to you.  
You are my only one.  
I let go, but there's just no one who gets me like you do.  
You are my only, my only one._

"I said it before, Suzaku, you aren't a fool and I think you kn-"

"Just tell me, Goddamnit! Tell me it isn't fucking true!" Suzaku screamed angrily, standing and smashing his fist against the table. After he saw his mother, he expected it to be his father sitting here waiting for him. But after he saw Lelouch, dread of the truth began crawling up his throat and heart. He really knew what was going on (After all, how could he not? It wasn't as secretive as Lelouch may have wanted) but he had wanted to pretend. Because maybe, he thought, if he pretended that it wasn't true hard enough it would all unravel and he could have his happily ever after.

Lelouch stared up at him, still sitting, still so damn composed, and merely gave a weak smile at him.

_Here I go, so dishonestly.  
Leave a note for you, my only one.  
And I know you can see right through me  
So let me go and you will find someone._

"This realm is only a brief passage for the living and the dead to speak, Suzaku," Lelouch said, setting his cup down. He looked up through his bangs, ears slowly flattening a bit, but that sad little grin still on his features. "So, thank you, Suzaku. Thank you for letting me love you while we still had the time."

Suzaku then lunged to make a grab for Lelouch, but when he blinked he was grabbing at open air in the dank old cave. A few feet away lay Cici, groaning softly as she started to come around, but Suzaku cared nothing for this. He forced himself up and rushed at the stone doors, the entrance to the World of C, and began pounding his fists against them angrily. "Give him back!"

_Here I go, scream my lungs out and try to get to you.  
You are my only one.  
I let go, but there's just no one, no one like you.  
You are my only, my only one._

"I don't care if this whole world has to be at war! I don't care if I have to give up my own will power and freedom!" He screamed, feeling his skin begin to tear and bleed from the force of his hits. He didn't care for the crimson fluid and he didn't care about the clear one leaking through his eyes. All he cared about was getting his point across.

Cici watched him for a few minutes, as slowly he dropped to his knees in a sobbing mess. She then turned away, wanting to give Suzaku a little bit of privacy since she couldn't move her body very well after her Code being taken away.

_My only one  
My only one  
My only one  
You are my only, my only one. – __Only One_by Yellowcard

End

I know I didn't mention Shirley in my list of people (I included Cornelia because she is BA) who will remember Lelouch; this is because she'd not important to the plot so she can go away.


	14. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass. I do own the plot. All songs used belong to their respective artists.

_Calm down, I'm calling you to say  
I'm capsized, staring on the edge of safe.  
Calm down, I'm calling back to say  
I'm home now  
I'm coming around, I'm coming around. – __The Con_ by Tegan and Sara

Epilogue

It was officially five years. Five long, miserable years filled with peace and joy; but there was no Lelouch there. Suzaku sighed as he leaned back against the chair of his office, thinking back on everything that had occurred in the last five years since that oh so fateful day. Due to the peace brought on by Lelouch's final wish and Euphemia's rise to the role of Empress, there was rarely much work for him to do. Now and then he'd get a few documents to sign or have a meeting to attend with the young Empress, but there was rarely ever any action.

And it was at these times he'd remember Lelouch the most; specifically the events that first followed Lelouch's departure.

He had pounded on the walls until Kallen arrived and he couldn't feel from his elbows to the tips of his fingers. She had helped Cici up, making sure the other was unharmed, and then approached him. Her hand fell to his shoulder, a sorrowful frown on her lips. "I'm sorry, Suzaku," She said as delicately as she could.

He had ignored her and shrugged free of her grasp. He stood, feeling light headed and numb all over. He had then walked out, using the Lancelot to return to Pendragon. The entire trip he had stared at his hands, leaking blood from a few cuts and stratches all over, and wondered briefly why he hadn't paid more attention to the other. If he hadn't overreacted to the truth about Euphemia being alive maybe he could have saved Lelouch. But he had been too focused on the fact that Euphemia had been an innocent, that she had never soiled her hands in blood to achieve her goals, that he had cut Lelouch out because he thought he knew what the other was planning to do.

When he returned, Euphemia had explained everything to him. Only he, Kallen, Cici, Euphemia herself would be able to remember Lelouch, as far as the pair knew. When he talked to Nunnally for the first time after his return, he had felt his heart leap out of his chest. She had to remember her missing brother; they had been too close for even Geass to block him out! He had sat with her outside for tea, a little ember of joy had been lit within him, and asked her politely, "Do you miss Lelouch very much, Nunnally?"

"Who is Lelouch, Suzaku?" She had asked, seeming sincerely stunned, lilac orbs widened slightly in surprise. He had flinched slightly at her response, at how completely true it was. She really didn't remember him; game over. He had looked down at the small white glass cup in his hands and felt tears prick at his eyes.

"No one, Nunnally. I forgot you never met him," He had whispered and changed the subject as quickly as he could. He tried to limit his contact with Nunnally after that; she was just far too much of a painful reminder of the one he lost. He had, as far as he could, anyway, cut ties with anyone who had a bond with the now forgotten prince.

'_I actually haven't seen Cici or Kallen since that day. I assume they've been well,'_ He thought as he stood from his desk. He hadn't really tried to find out where they were to avoid them and he was amazed that he still hadn't seen them in the last five years. He exited his office, heading to the throne room where Euphemia was having a conference with Cornelia. He's been summoned there a few minutes ago, but had tried to delay it as long as he could, deciding that chasing the memories of long ago would be more pleasant than a chat with the protective older sister of the Empress. _'Nothing is really going wrong, anyway; all damage done by Geass has been reversed. There s no war, famine or drought in the world. All economies are balanced as well. The task of the Knights of Round may as well be to sit around and twiddle our thumbs.'_ He knew that he should be less ungrateful toward the peaceful times but he still found himself hating them for what had been taken away.

"Suzaku, it's good to see you!" Gino boomed happily as they passed one another in the hallway. Gino appeared to be heading in from the gardens (most likely spending time with Anya) and seemed even more chipper than usual. Suzaku nodded to him and kept walking; even Gino, who had seemed so loyal to the ebony haired male, no longer recalled him in the least. He took a deep breath before pushing open the doors, ignoring the loud squealing protest he received, and entered the throne room.

"Ah, Suzaku," Euphemia said with a wide grin on her lips. Cornelia was glaring at the young Japanese male but it was nothing new to him; she always gave him dirty looks. "We were just discussing a matter you might find rather interesting; Lelouch." He twitched at the name and looked at her in surprise.

In five years, Euphemia had not changed too much. She looked stronger in her physical features(less sweet and more headstrong in the glint in her eyes) though her hair had grown longer (which she normally kept up in a ponytail or bun) and she may have gained a few more inches in height; he could also chop that up to the heels she normally wore, though. She was currently clad in a long sleeved white gown with the seal of the royal Britannian family stitched elegantly over the bodice. "Lelouch, Your Highness?" He croaked out softly.

"Yes, Kururugi; my younger brother that you let die!" Cornelia snapped scornfully, taking a step toward him.

"Cornelia, please!" Euphemia said in a stern tone; normally her tone would be pleading with the older woman (even after her rise to power) and this change of pace was rather surprising. The two other's looked at the petite woman as she released a small breath and sat up a little straighter in her chair.

"Now, I explained everything that happened to her as you explained it to me. Cornelia had a few questions to ask you herself, hence why I called you here. Would you have a problem answering these questions openly and honestly?"

"Of course not, Your Highness," Suzaku said, though he really didn't feel that way. He wished to keep it all to himself; Cornelia was an intrusive woman who delighted in making other's squirm (much as Lelouch had in life) and Suzaku did not want to be made into a dissection for the thrills of a princess. "What did you want to know, Princess Cornelia?" He asked politely, shifting his gaze to the scowling woman.

"Where exactly did Lelouch go?" She snarled lowly, eyes narrowed dangerously at him. Suzaku sighed, remembering everything Euphemia had explained to him which she'd been told from Marianne.

"He was taken to the World of C," He said calmly. He looked back at her, jade orbs hardening in a strange mix of sorrow and honesty. "He conversed with the being on the other side of the doors, the creature in charge of the World of C. He was then able to bring about this peaceful world by using your Father's Geass to alter the memories of everyone across the globe. It was what he was given in exchange for bringing an end to your Father and V2's plans. He erased all memories about himself, Geass, and the crimes committed against humanity by your uncle and Father."

"And what exactly is the World of C? And how much of this world was Lelouch's planning for the world?" She pressed forward. He could see that there was a little less suspicion; clearly Euphemia really had told her everything the pair knew.

"I don't know exactly," He said with a sigh, "because I never got the chance to ask Lelouch or the Immortal witch Cici. And then Cici left with another member of the Black Knights and I haven't seen them in five years. And it was all basically what Lelouch wanted; from everyone forgetting him to Euphemia taking over as Empress of this peaceful world."

"I see," Cornelia said, turning to look at Euphemia. She released a small sigh, as if disappointed. "My apologizes for being so dubious of what you told me, Your Highness." And then she walked off, seeming just as disgruntled as she had been when Suzaku entered.

"I'm sorry if I upset her," Suzaku said after the doors were shut, turning to look at Euphemia. The purple eyed queen smiled at him lightly and waved a hand in a dismissive manner.

"It's fine, Suzaku. She was upset when she came in; more with me than with you," She said gently. She slowly rose and approached one of the large windows she had put in as replaced to the thick stone walls of her Father's time. She smiled at the sunlight pooling in through the windows. "I should have talked to her long ago about what happened to Lelouch. However, on a lighter note, since today is… That… You may leave and enjoy a day in Pendragon by yourself. It's become your custom so I thought I should just let you know that you can go whenever you'd like. I'll have Gino or Luciano accompany me for the day." She said with a bright smile on her lips. He blinked a few times, remembering that he usually did steal away from the castle. Being here just made him think even more about Lelouch; the other had grown up here for a few years.

"I think I'll get going for the day then," Suzaku said before heading out as well. He paused at the doors and glanced back at her, swallowing a growing lump in his throat. "And thank you, Euphie." He said gently.

Her smile widened slightly but he did see a few tears begin to fall from her eyes. "You are very welcome, Suzaku,"

…

Suzaku pushed his sunglasses up on the bridge of his nose a little more. He had abandoned his blue trench coat and yellow shirt outfit when he outgrew it; now he wore tan jeans that clung to his hips and a sleeveless black turtle neck. He sighed softly as he walked past a small café with little white metal tables and matching chairs, a large green and white striped awning covering the customers from the rays of the sun. "Hello again, Kururugi," A familiar voice hummed, causing him to skid to a stop and look back.

Seated in a chair with a cup in her hands, was the all too familiar figure of Cici.

"Cici," He said as he stepped a bit closer toward her. She seemed to have aged accordingly as everyone else around Suzaku had in the last five years; he had almost been hoping she'd turn into a shriveled bag of bones, but kept the disappointment locked deep inside. Instead she sat there with a white conductor's hat on, her hair braided over her shoulders, a white tube top around her torso and a knee length blue skirt on with it. Her eyes were the same cat-like color he remembered. "Is Kallen here as well?"

"She had rehearsal; she joined a theater troupe to travel the world and I decided to tag along. I decided to grab myself a little bite to eat before heading over there; Kallen has a very short temperament, if you can believe that," She chuckled while setting her cup back down. Suzaku noticed that it was nearly empty. "Well, since I was just finishing my last free refill, would you be so kind as to escort me there? I've heard there have been some dangerous ruffians in the area lately." She hummed as she stood up. It was then Suzaku noticed the obnoxious orange purse Cici had draped over her chair; he wasn't surprised that she was the type to mix her colors as she had.

"I didn't really have any other plans, so I may as well," He said as she adjusted the strap on her shoulder so that it was more comfortable. She smiled and started walking, not going to fast so he could catch up to her easier. They fell into silence briefly before he decided to end it. "So is traveling what you two have been up to all this time?"

"We just joined the troupe last year; until then we were in Tokyo so that Kallen could finish up with school. When she realized that college wasn't really her thing," She answered with a twirl of her hand, as if trying to conjure up the right words to say, "she was introduced to theater by one of her classmates who was in the drama department. After she tried it out, she ended up loving it; and since I wasn't going to be abandoned, I agreed to help when I could. I'm on the set design crew; I don't know if Lelouch ever told you but I happen to be a rather talented painter." She smiled at him like a five year old would smile at their parents after passing their first big test at school.

"Do you ever miss him?" Suzaku asked abruptly, causing both their moods to shift immediately. Cici was silent for a moment and then looked down at her feet as she walked.

"A little. But I had a thought a little while ago; it's one of the reasons I'm glad I ran into you, actually. You see, I think that this little theory of mine could possibly be a very good point about the gifts of God and the power of Geass," She began. When she glanced at him she had a small conspiratorial glint in her eyes that Suzaku remembered well; she used to watch Lelouch with that look in her eyes.

"Go on," He said, nodding his head a bit as well. She smiled and looked ahead as they continued to walk.

"You can't just erase someone because you want to," She began calmly. She held up one finger when Suzaku aimed to argue her point. "Please hold all questions until the end of the lectures." She smiled when Suzaku shut his mouth and let out a sigh through his nostrils. "You can kill someone, yes, but they still existed at one point. Even with Geass you can only erase or end so much; Charles ability to alter memories was only temporary and Lelouch's ability to control ones will could only be used once per individual. So I think it's possible that Lelouch may still exist in the world; he just isn't Lelouch vi Britannia, the prince who saved the world and created this great peace."

"If he isn't Lelouch vi Britannia than who the Hell would he be?" Suzaku snapped angrily, irritated by the green haired woman's suggestion. Was she trying to imply that Lelouch was alive without his memories, and that he wasn't necessarily Lelouch? That thought left Suzaku pained, remembering the time he had betrayed Lelouch and Cici's suggestion had been true. The thought of Lelouch being alive, but not really being Lelouch, was like getting one piece to a present but not getting the other.

"He could be Lelouch Lamperogue," She suggested with a small smile on her lips. She paused in front of a building and Suzaku was left stunned at how close the theater she needed to visit was from the café she had visited. It was only one block over! "I doubt that God would take someone so precious away from humanity; re-write him with a new purpose? I think that could be possible but I don't think that even God would want to just senselessly take a good person's life. He is the big man in charge, after all; He can change the rules however he'd like to match his grand design. Do you know what I mean?" She asked him.

"I think so," He said cautiously, one eyebrow still raised slightly at her. She grinned and reached out, lightly patting his head as if he were a dog.

"Lelouch always said you were a little slow on the intake; given some time to mull it over and you'll probably be able to figure it all out on your own. You are a big, strong boy now," She teased before waving and disappearing into the building. Suzaku heard the soft notes of a piano and someone singing, temporarily tempted to go and at least say hello to Kallen, but decided against it. What would talking to Kallen accomplish for him, other than ruin his mood even more than it already was?

He ended up walking to a nearby park and settling himself on one of the swings. He watched some kids playing kick ball across the field and noticed one little girl playing by herself, bouncing a yellow ball on the ground. After a particularly hard toss toward the ground, it began rolling away and the young girl had to chase it. She paused, picking it up, and their eyes met; he noticed that her eyes were a bizarre rose color.

She headed over to him and plopped herself down on the swing next to him, setting her ball down in the sand pit the swing set was placed in. Her hair was a cerulean hue and tugged back in a long braid that touched the ground. She was wearing a long sleeved pink top with a flowery pattern all over it, regular blue jeans and white sneakers. "Hello," She said happily to him.

"Hi," Suzaku said after a moment, watching her curiously. She just continued to smile up at him happily. "Can I help you?" He asked politely.

"You seemed kind of sad and lonely so I thought I should come talk to you so you'd feel better," She informed him in that same chipper tone. Suzaku looked at her in alarm. Had he really been that much of an open book that a child no more than ten had been able to see how upset he was?

"Well, thank you," He said, forcing a sweet smile on his lips. He may as well be nice to her; she just wanted to help him. She reminded him a lot of Nunnally when he had met her all those years ago which kept him from being rude to her. "You are remarkably intuitive."

"My big brother says that it's called a 'woman's intention'," She beamed happily. Her mispronunciation earned her a small chuckle from the knight.

"Well clearly your brother must be a very smart person. Oh, is he here with you?" He asked, suddenly looking around for a boy maybe four or five years older than the girl with him.

"We live near this park and I walked over. My brother said he'd come and get me when dinner was ready," She said before picking up her ball and looking at Suzaku. Her grin grew wider. "Do you wanna play with me until my dinner is ready?"

"Sure," Suzaku said while getting up from the swing. He didn't really have any other plans for the day; why not spend it playing with a lonely little girl?

…

He ended up spending three hours just playing and talking with the young girl. He never asked for her name and she never offered it, but she was surprisingly sociable. When he asked her why she didn't play with the other children she said that they thought her eyes were weird. He felt bad for her and for the other children simply because they'd miss out on what a wonderful disposition this little girl had; if he hadn't looked past Lelouch and Nunnally being Britannia, he never would have met two of his best friends. "Geass, where are you?" A voice suddenly called, causing Suzaku to jerk up and turn in the direction it had come from.

Was it possible? He could see inky black hair peeking out from under a black beret, pale skin but the other's head was tilted in a way that hid the other's eyes. He was wearing a long sleeved green turtle neck sweater, a pair of regular denim jeans, and black sneakers. The young girl, apparently known as Geass, jumped up and gasped happily. "That's my big brother!" She beamed, rushing over to the other and hugging his legs.

Suzaku stood up, watching as the two spoke in hushed tongue, before the other glanced up and he knew; those amethyst spheres haunted his every dream and nightmare. "Thank you for being so polite to my little sister," He said in that oh so smooth tone that Suzaku had never been able to forget.

"It was my pleasure. She's a really sweet little girl," Suzaku said as he walked over. He could feel the blood rushing through his veins and hear his heart pounding in his ears. This was really happening, wasn't it? He wasn't dreaming or hallucinating?

"She is. Lelouch Lamperogue," He said, offering his hand. He took it and felt sudden… whole again. Just the warmth of their brief contact, this little casual gesture, made him feel as if Lelouch had always been there.

"Suzaku Kururugi," He said after swallowing hard. Their hands remained interlocked for a moment longer than necessary before Lelouch calmly took his hand back. He leaned down and picked Geass up, carrying her on his hip. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and she nuzzled into him, giggling.

"Well, Suzaku, would you like to join us for dinner?" Lelouch asked with a small smirk on his lips, a glint in his eyes. Suzaku's eyes widened at the other as he realized.

'_Lelouch… You're-'_ "Sure," He said with a smile. The other smiled back and nodded as well, beginning to walk away. He followed happily, wondering if Cici had said what she said because she knew the truth. She always had been a mischievous sort of witch, after all.

But maybe the last joke of a witch was what really inspired this reunion.

End


End file.
